Leonard Tate

Grundy County Poet Laureate

Leonard Tate has long been considered the poet laureate of Grundy County. Tate was born in Beersheba Springs in 1912, and lived most of his life there until his passing in 1989.

Ben Caldwell and Herschel Gower co-edited the collection of Tate's works titled All the Lost Octobers and Other Poems. The collection was published by the historical society in 1990. Read more about thelife of Leonard Tate.

The historical society established the Leonard Tate Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a local high school senior. The 2025 scholarship was awarded toSam Parson.

Learn more about the scholarship in theScholarship Overview and2025 Scholarship Application.

Beersheba Springs sculptorJo Fassnacht has created aportrait bust of Leonard Tate.