Leonard Sumner Ferry, a lawyer of Topeka, was born at New Paris, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, July 29, 1862, a son of John B. Ferry, who was a German Baptist minister, and wife, Elizabeth Snowberger, both of whom were natives of Bedford county, Pennsylvania. The father of the former, whose name was Leonard Ferry, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and was known throughout that state as a German Baptist preacher of much note. Elizabeth Snowberger was the daughter of Daniel Snowberger, a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and also a preacher of the German Baptist faith.

Leonard Sumner Ferry spent the earlier years of his life in New Paris, Pa., and there attended the schools. At the age of eighteen he entered Juniata College, at Huntingdon, Pa., and studied there for one year. In 1882, the following year, he enrolled as a freshman in DePauw University, at Greencastle, Ind., and graduated at that institution in 1886, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Later, in 1894, the same university conferred the degree of Master of Arts upon Mr. Ferry. Immediately after the completion of his college course he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. During his last year of attendance at DePauw he had devoted sufficient attention to the study of law to enable him to enter the senior class of the law school and to graduate the following year, in 1887. The same year he came to Kansas, located at Topeka, and began the practice of law. Judge Ferry's career during the period of twenty-three years following this date is one of exceptional success and prosperity. He is the senior member of the firm of Ferry, Doran & Dean, one of the most prominent legal firms of Topeka. The offices of the firm, which are located in the New England Building, are among the finest and best equipped law offices in the state. They are counsel for the Continental Creamery Company, the Topeka Edison Company, the Knights and Ladies of Security, the Topeka Railway Company, and many other corporations. They are also attorneys in the State of Kansas for the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland. Mr. Ferry was for four years judge of the police court of Topeka, serving from 1895 to 1899, and was a member of the board of education of that city for two years. He is a member of the Shawnee county and Kansas state bar associations, the Topeka, the Saturday Night, the Lake View, and is president of the Country and the Commercial clubs. In his fraternal relations Mr. Ferry is a Thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and of the Knights and Ladies of Security.

On June 12, 1895, he was married to Miss Jennie Elizabeth Lescher, of Topeka. Their home, at 1419 Topeka avenue, is one of the most attractive residences of the city.