William Leon Cummings was born in Troupsburg, New York, on July 8, 1876, the son of Richardson Darwin Cummings and Clarina Elizabeth Brooks. He earned a bachelor's degree from Taylor University in 1901 and a medical degree from the Ohio Medical University (later the Starling-Ohio Medical College, which became affiliated with Ohio State University) in 1905. He practiced medicine in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to northern New York, where he was a researcher and chemist. Cummings was a prominent Mason. On February 22, 1897, he married Anna Belle Kelley; their two daughters were Ida Myrtle and Marjorie Maxine. William L. Cummings died on July 22, 1966.
From the guide to the W. L. Cummings collection, Cummings, W. L. collection, 1906-1941, 1906-1928, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
