Feist, Leonard, 1910-1996

Leonard Feist, publisher and copyright expert, was the son of music publisher Leo Feist.

After graduating from Yale in 1932, the younger Feist joined his father's company. When Leo Feist, Inc. was sold to MGM in the late 1930s, Leonard Feist began a career as an independent publisher, in which he was involved in the publication of concert, educational, and sacred music. In 1956, he assumed the presidency of Associated Music Publishers, Inc., and in 1966, he became president of the National Music Publishers' Association. Feist became known for his work in Washington, D.C. as an advocate on behalf of the music publishing industry. He worked extensively in helping to draft the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act. As a well-regarded expert on international copyright, Feist served as an advisor to the United States Delegation to the Berne Convention Revision Conference to advise on revisions of international copyright. In 1980, he published An Introduction to Popular Music Publishing in America, which illustrates the role of publishers in the music business. Feist served as president of the National Music Council, Century Music Publishing, and Mercury Music Corporation, as well as vice president of the National Academy of Popular Music. He was the recipient of many awards, including the degree of Honorary Doctor of Music conferred by the Peabody Institute of Music.