Leland Harold Roloff was born in San Diego, California, on August 15, 1927. He obtained his B.A. in speech (1950) from San Diego State College, M.A. in interpretation (1951) from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in interpretation (1967) from the University of Southern California. He later obtained a diploma in analytical psychology and practiced as a Jungian psychoanalyst under the name Lee Zahner-Roloff.
After teaching at several universities, high schools and elementary schools Roloff joined the Northwestern University faculty in 1968 as associate professor of interpretation. He was promoted to professor of interpretation in 1976. From 1981 to 1983 Roloff was master of the Jones Fine and Performing Arts Residential College. In 1990 he became professor of performance studies emeritus.
Roloff's major interests were in communication and communication theory, children's literature, and contemporary poetry. As an author his major book was The Perception and Evocation of Literature (1973). He also wrote poetry and plays. As a performer he acted, directed, and read interpretatively. He was also a popular and frequent lecture.
Married several times, Roloff had two children.
From the guide to the Leland H. Roloff (1927- ) Papers, 1949-1990, (Northwestern University Archives)
