Leonard W. Roberts

Who was Leonard W. Roberts?

Leonard W. Roberts was an early folklorist, professor, and publisher.

Roberts was born in Floyd County, Kentucky to Lewis Jackson and Rhoda Jane Roberts. He graduated from Berea College before studying creative writing at the University of Iowa. Roberts then attended the University of Kentucky, where he earned a PhD in English.

While at the University of Kentucky, he began collecting folktales from his students and their families. Roberts later studied folklore at Indiana University before accepting a position as professor at Pikeville College. While at Pikeville College, he founded a press which published the literary journal Twigs, as well as numerous books of poetry and regional history. In his career, Roberts also taught at the Berea Foundation School, Morehead State University, Union College, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Roberts was killed in a traffic accident and is buried in Ivel, Kentucky.