Leland Grumbles was born in Star City, Arkansas (1921) and attended Texas A&M College where he worked his way through school on the college poultry farm, earning his veterinary degree in 1945.  After a year in private practice, he joined the University of Rhode Island as an assistant professor, under John Delaplane.  Grumbles and Delaplane collaborated on coccidiosis research, establishing a relationship that would continue for the next decade.  Grumbles relocated to Louisiana State University in 1948 and then, a year later, rejoined Delaplane at Texas A&M.

At Texas A&M Grumbles became part of an active research team that contributed to research on Newcastle disease, chlamydiosis, mycoplasmosis, and Salmonellosis.  He earned his M.S. degree in 1957, working on infectious sinusitis of turkeys.  Upon the untimely death of John Delaplane, Grumbles was named department chair in 1957.  He stepped down as chair in 1977 and returned to teaching and research.

Lee Grumbles played a seminal role in the inception of the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP).  As the chair of the poultry section of the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association, he called for the organizational meeting in Cleveland (1957) and was elected chairman of the organizing committee that developed the initial constitution approved in 1958.

He served as president of AAAP (1974-1975) and was editor of the journal, Avian Diseases (1967-1973).  As chair of the AAAP History Committee, he helped establish the official historical archives at Iowa State University and, with Charles Hall, authored a 30-year history of the organization.

He was a charter diplomate the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists and a member of its board of governors and examination committee.  He also helped establish the Southern Conference on Avian Diseases (SCAD) and was its first president.

He has received several awards and recognitions including the AAAP Special Service Award and AAAP Life Membership.

Lee and his wife, Helen, lived in College Station, TX, enjoying their home in the country where fishing, camping and horseback riding were common pursuits.  They had two daughters.  Lee was an avid fan of “Aggie” sports. After his death in 2006, his long-time colleague, Charlie Hall, wrote that Lee “loved life, was a leader, was fair and compassionate, loved his chosen field, and had an uncanny ability to sense a “need” and meet it.”