Raised from infancy in Lansing, Michigan, as a young man LeRoy Barnett joined the U.S. military and served with the Army Security Agency overseas for nearly four years.  Upon his return stateside to civilian life, LeRoy commenced his advanced education, earning (with much-appreciated financial help from the GI Bill) BS, MA, and PhD degrees from Michigan State University and a MLS degree from Western Michigan University.

With his formal education completed, LeRoy began a quarter-century stint with the State Archives as Head of Reference, a position from which he retired just before the turn of the last century.  In his free time LeRoy likes to research and write about Michigan history, an inclination that to date has produced nearly one hundred articles and the following books:

Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1900: Michigan Volume.
Mining in Michigan: A Catalog of Company Publications.
Railroads in Michigan: A Catalog of Company Publications.
Shipping Literature of the Great Lakes: A Catalog of Company Publications.
Makin’ Music: Michigan’s Rock & Roll Legacy.
Michigan’s Early Military Forces: A Roster and History of Troops Activated Prior to the American Civil War.