Gladys Kleinwort Bowles

Gladys Kleinwort Bowles (1917–2009) was a rural sociologist and professional demographer who spent 40 years working for the U.S. Federal Government focusing mostly on statistics of net migration of the U.S. population from 1950 to 1960 as well as from 1960 to 1970. She was born on her family farm on August 23, 1917, to parents Sherwin A. Kleinwort and Irma Lubiens Kleinwort in St. Ansgar, Iowa where she also attended high school. She went to Mason City to attend Hamilton Business School, graduating in 1938. Gladys also continued to further her graduate studies at the University of Maryland and the American University in Washington D.C. In 1942, she married Charles T. Bowles and divorced in 1950, but retained the last name Bowles. She also explored the poverty implications of migration from rural to urban spaces.

Gladys Bowles received many accolades throughout her career. She also participated in and helped to run many professional demographic and sociology organizations. She served as vice president of the Population Association of America and president of the Southern Demographic Association.