Lee Roy Norvelle, professor emeritus at Indiana University, was born in Pendleton, Kentucky on July 25, 1892. He received an A.B. degree in 1921 from Indiana University, a M.A. in Speech from the University of Iowa in 1923, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Indiana University in 1931.

Norvelle joined the IU speech faculty in 1925. He was interested in theatre and began making plans to expand the theatre curriculum and to produce plays. In 1930 he established the Indiana University Theatre in Assembly Hall, which was later moved to Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. Finally in 1941 a new theatre was built and was heralded as "one of the most modern and best equipped buildings to be found anywhere in the United States." Norvelle remained its director until his retirement in 1963.

Norvelle became the head of the Department of Speech and Theatre in 1945 and served until 1958 when J. Jeffrey Auer became the new departmental head. Norvelle served on many committees and helped administer a new doctoral program in drama. Norvelle also oversaw departmental scholarships, two of which were given out to Charles Kimbrough, a Tony-nominated actor who played Jim Dial on TV's "Murphy Brown." In an effort to provide opportunities for students to work on theatre year-round, Norvelle, with Nashville businessman A. J. Rogers, founded the Brown County Playhouse in 1948. In 1959 Norvelle was instrumental in IU obtaining and setting up the Showboat Majestic, the last of the touring theatre riverboats along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Norvelle was appointed the director of the Showboat Majestic in 1960, but only remained active in this position for a year, leaving most of the administrative work to the head of the University Theatre, Richard Moody.

Norvelle also became involved in theatre on the national level. He was president of Theta Alpha Phi, a national theatre fraternity, from 1937-1952 and was given their "Outstanding Person" award in 1957. He also served as president of the National Theatre Conference and the American Educational Theatre Association. As president of the National Theatre Conference, Norvelle was instrumental in getting new plays produced, including Jim Dandy by Pulitzer-prize winner William Saroyan. In 1972 Lee Norvelle was awarded the Award of Merit from the American Theatre Association.

Norvelle was the author of a textbook on public speaking and dramatized Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology. He produced and directed Lincoln in Indiana adapted from Francesca Falk Miller's "Marked Corners" for the Sesquicentennial Celebration held at IU.

Lee Roy Norvelle died on February 29, 1984 in Bloomington, IN.