author
Leland Todd Powers
1857–1920
A lively voice teacher, performer, and writer, he helped shape the study of spoken expression in America. Best remembered for founding the Leland Powers School in Boston, he brought elocution and dramatic reading to a wide public audience.
1 Audiobook
Practice Book, Leland Powers School
by Leland Todd Powers
About the author
Born in Pultneyville, New York, in 1857, Leland Todd Powers became known as an American actor, author, and performing arts educator. He built his reputation in the lyceum and Chautauqua world, where public reading, recitation, and platform speaking were major forms of entertainment and education.
Powers is best known for founding the Leland Powers School in Boston in 1904 with his wife, Carol Hoyt Powers. The school focused on spoken word performance, vocal expression, and dramatic training, and it became an important part of his legacy as a teacher.
He also wrote and edited books connected with expression and recitation, including Talks on Expression and practice books used in teaching. Powers died in 1920, but his name remained closely linked with early American training in speech and performance.