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'''Milton Drew Bowers, Jr.''' (October 19, 1886 - December 15, 1985), was a federal attorney and the [[Republican]] nominee for governor of [[Arkansas]] in 1926 and 1928. He was born near Pocahontas in Randolph County in northeastern Arkansas.

'''Milton Drew Bowers, Jr.''' (October 19, 1886 - December 15, 1985), was a federal attorney and the [[Republican]] nominee for governor of [[Arkansas]] in 1926 and 1928. He was born near Pocahontas in Randolph County in northeastern Arkansas.

   

   

Bowers was the eighth of fifteen children of Milton Drew "Mitt" Bowers, Sr. (1850-1914), a [[Baptist]] minister and a native of Palmyra in Montgomery County near Clarksville in northern [[Tennessee]]. The senior Bowers served in the 1899 session of the Arkansas House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/obits/obitsag.htm|title=Milton Drew Bowers, Sr.|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref> Bowers'  mother, the former Lucinda Angelina Pratt (1855-1934), a native of Ironton in southeastern [[Missouri]], was a daughter of Jesse Richardson Pratt and his second wife,  the former Elizabeth Gibson. Like her husband, Drew Bowers, Sr., Lucinda's father was a Baptist minister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/PrattFamAlbum.htm|title=The Reverend Jesse Richardson Pratt Family Album|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/obits/obitsag.htm|title=Mrs. Lucinda A. Pratt Bowers|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref>

Bowers was the eighth of fifteen children of Milton Drew "Mitt" Bowers, Sr. (1850-1914), a [[Baptist]] minister and a native of Palmyra in Montgomery County near Clarksville in northern [[Tennessee]]. The senior Bowers served in the 1899 session of the Arkansas House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/obits/obitsag.htm|title=Milton Drew Bowers, Sr.|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref> Bowers'  mother, the former Lucinda Angelina Pratt (1855-1934), a native of Ironton in southeastern [[Missouri]], was a daughter of Jesse Richardson Pratt and his second wife,  the former Elizabeth Gibson. Like her husband, Drew Bowers, Sr., Lucinda's father was a Baptist minister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/PrattFamAlbum.htm|title=The Reverend Jesse Richardson Pratt Family Album|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/obits/obitsag.htm|title=Mrs. Lucinda A. Pratt Bowers|publisher=rootsweb.ancestry.com|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref>

'''Bowers' friend [[Osro Cobb]] described him as "the finest trial lawyer I ever met. Mr. Bowers had a photographic memory. When he quoted the testimony of a witness in argument, it would be word-for-word -- with voice inflections highly similar to those of the witness.'''</blockquote>

'''Bowers' friend [[Osro Cobb]] described him as "the finest trial lawyer I ever met. Mr. Bowers had a photographic memory. When he quoted the testimony of a witness in argument, it would be word-for-word -- with voice inflections highly similar to those of the witness.'''</blockquote>

   

   

Young Bowers attended the Ouachita-Maynard Academy in Maynard, in Randolph County. This institution was one of the forerunners of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, in Clark County in southern Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5974|title=Maynard Baptist Academy|publisher=encyclopediaofarkansas.net|accessdate=August 12, 2012}}</ref> Bowers then enrolled at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, from which he procured a teacher’s certificate in 1906. He then taught school at Clearview in Randolph County.  Meanwhile, he studied  law in the offices of lawyer friends in Pocahontas and in 1913 was admitted to the state bar. He ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the Arkansas House in both 1908 and 1916 and for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1924. In his two consecutive bids for governor, he was defeated by the [[Democrats]] John Ellis Martineau and Harvey Parnell. He polled 23.6 percent of the [[general election]] vote in 1926; 22.7 percent, in 1928.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://cdm15728.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/findingaids/id/291/rec/10/|title=M. Drew Bowers Papers|publisher=http://cdm15728.contentdm.oclc.org|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref> In the latter election, [[U.S. Senator]] Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas was the Democratic nominee for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] on the [[Al Smith]] ticket.  

Young Bowers attended the Ouachita-Maynard Academy in Maynard, in Randolph County. This institution was one of the forerunners of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, in Clark County in southern Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5974|title=Maynard Baptist Academy|publisher=encyclopediaofarkansas.net|accessdate=August 12, 2012}}</ref> Bowers then enrolled at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, from which he procured a teacher’s certificate in 1906. He then taught school at Clearview in Randolph County.  Meanwhile, he studied  law in the offices of lawyer friends in Pocahontas and in 1913 was admitted to the state bar. He ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the Arkansas House in both 1908 and 1916 and for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1924. In his two consecutive bids for governor, he was defeated by the [[Democrats]] John Ellis Martineau and Harvey Parnell. He polled 23.6 percent of the [[general election]] vote in 1926; 22.7 percent, in 1928.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://cdm15728.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/findingaids/id/291/rec/10/|title=M. Drew Bowers Papers|publisher=Contentdm.oclc.org|accessdate=August 13, 2012}}</ref> In the latter election, [[U.S. Senator]] Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas was the Democratic nominee for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] on the [[Al Smith]] ticket.  

 

   

   

In 1925, during the [[Calvin Coolidge]] administration, Bowers was appointed Assistant United States Attorney. After eleven years in that position, also under Presidents [[Herbert Hoover]] and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], Bowers resigned in 1936 to enter private practice. In 1953, the new [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] administration recalled him as Assistant United States Attorney. He retired from the federal position in 1962 at the age of seventy-six and returned to the private practice of law. In 1977, at the age of ninety, Bowers retired from his law practice. He died nine years later in [[Little Rock]] at the age of ninety-nine.<ref name=bio/>

In 1925, during the [[Calvin Coolidge]] administration, Bowers was appointed Assistant United States Attorney. After eleven years in that position, also under Presidents [[Herbert Hoover]] and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], Bowers resigned in 1936 to enter private practice. In 1953, the new [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] administration recalled him as Assistant United States Attorney. He retired from the federal position in 1962 at the age of seventy-six and returned to the private practice of law. In 1977, at the age of ninety, Bowers retired from his law practice. He died nine years later in [[Little Rock]] at the age of ninety-nine.<ref name=bio/>

Drew Bowers was the finest trial lawyer I ever met. Mr. Bowers had a photographic memory. When he quoted the testimony of a witness in argument, it would be word-for-word -- with voice inflections highly similar to those of the witness. Working with Mr. Bowers was a fruitful, unforgettable experience. I recall that we persuaded him on rather short notice one day to go to Stuttgart (in Arkansas County) to try a nongovernment tort damage case in which we had filed a cross complaint for $2,500. When Mr. Bowers arrived in court, Circuit Judge W. J. Waggoner was selecting a jury for the case preceding ours. The judge motioned for Mr. Bowers to approach the bench. He then arose, handed the gavel to Mr. Bowers, and asked him to preside while he was getting a haircut and attending to some personal matters!<br>

Drew Bowers was the finest trial lawyer I ever met. Mr. Bowers had a photographic memory. When he quoted the testimony of a witness in argument, it would be word-for-word -- with voice inflections highly similar to those of the witness. Working with Mr. Bowers was a fruitful, unforgettable experience. I recall that we persuaded him on rather short notice one day to go to Stuttgart (in Arkansas County) to try a nongovernment tort damage case in which we had filed a cross complaint for $2,500. When Mr. Bowers arrived in court, Circuit Judge W. J. Waggoner was selecting a jury for the case preceding ours. The judge motioned for Mr. Bowers to approach the bench. He then arose, handed the gavel to Mr. Bowers, and asked him to preside while he was getting a haircut and attending to some personal matters!<br>

   

   

Mr. Bowers took the bench and proceeded with the case. The jury was selected, opening statements were made by counsel, and the plaintiff had called its first witness by the time Judge Waggoner returned. Fortunately, our case was next. It was one in which we felt we had a strong defense and counter claim. Mr. Bowers demolished the opposition and obtained a judgment for the full amount of our counter claim. Mr. Bowers much preferred criminal cases, but he always did a good job on civil cases, too.<ref>Osro Cobb, ''Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Memoirs of Historical Significance'' ([[Little Rock]]: Rose Publishing Company, 1989), pp. 29-30</ref></blockquote>

Mr. Bowers took the bench and proceeded with the case. The jury was selected, opening statements were made by counsel, and the plaintiff had called its first witness by the time Judge Waggoner returned. Fortunately, our case was next. It was one in which we felt we had a strong defense and counter claim. Mr. Bowers demolished the opposition and obtained a judgment for the full amount of our counter claim. Mr. Bowers much preferred criminal cases, but he always did a good job on civil cases, too.<ref>Osro Cobb, ''Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Memoirs of Historical Significance'' ([[Little Rock]]: Rose Publishing Company, 1989), pp. 29-30.</ref></blockquote>

   

   

When Cobb was named U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, he asked the Eisenhower administration to waive age requirements so that Bowers, who had good physical health, could remain as the assistant U.S. attorney. In his memoirs, Cobb recalls a humorous incident involving Bowers:

When Cobb was named U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, he asked the Eisenhower administration to waive age requirements so that Bowers, who had good physical health, could remain as the assistant U.S. attorney. In his memoirs, Cobb recalls a humorous incident involving Bowers: