Before starting college, Leonard worked for fifteen years in a factory before enrolling at Santa Clara University where he received his BA in history. From there he attended Stanford University and received his MA in education. He went on to receive his PhD in history from the University of Kansas. At Baker University, he teaches courses in American history with an interest in Native American history, the American Revolution/ Early America, and Social and Political Revolutions of the 1950's & 1960's. He has published articles on Hispanic culture and activism in Kansas, Native American identity in the United Methodist Church and is the author of The Preservation of Native American Practices in the United Methodist Church: A Case Study in Recent Protestant Missions, (Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.) He also is the recipient of the United Methodist Church Exemplary Teacher Award in 2015.