Lester L. Dahms was born on March 9, 1920 near Gladbrook, Iowa, and was the fourth of six children. His early life was spent on a farm near Gladbrook and as a teenager he worked on the family farm. In 1941 Les enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps and was discharged as a sergeant in 1945. In 1947 he married Ardis Mueller. Les and Ardis had two children, Beverly and Kathleen.

Les became interested in parliamentary procedure and in 1965 was elected to the board of directors of the American Institute of Parliamentarians, a position he held for twenty years. He served as AIP president from 1970-1972 and as Executive Director from 1972-1983. Les was one of the founders of Dahms and Bierbaum Associates, Incorporated, a national referral service for parliamentarians. In 1990 Les was awarded the title of Executive Director Emeritus of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. Les was also a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.