W. Bion (Walter Bion) Adkins

W. Bion Adkins, also listed as Walter Bion Adkins, was an American author born in 1858 and died in 1925. Confirmed surviving records and editions connect him with The Jericho Road and identify him as the author of Twelve Steps Toward Heaven and The Anonymous Letter.

The Jericho Road, published in 1901, is a reflective work centered on the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It presents the organization not just as a fraternal society, but as a way of thinking about charity, self-improvement, and everyday kindness.

Very little biographical detail appears to be readily documented online, so the picture that remains is mostly drawn from his books. Even so, his writing points to a late 19th- and early 20th-century author deeply engaged with religion, ethics, and the ideals of fellowship.