Dates
Biographical Statement
Mary Augusta Rayford Collins was born in Lauderdale County, Mississippi in 1887 to Bryan Henry and Missouri Emma Walker Rayford. She attended Meridian Academy, a school of the Methodist Episcopal Church, then continued her studies at the Tuskegee Institute and the Hampton Institute. She worked at her father's, grandfather's, and uncleâs grocery and mercantile business, G.A. Walker & Company, taught at Wechsler Junior High School, and served as the librarian for the Andrew Carnegie Public Library, making her the first African American to hold that position in Mississippi. From 1939 to 1967, Collins served as the only female member on the Board of Trustees of the Central Methodist Church. She was honored as Zeta Phi Beta Sororityâs Woman of the Year in 1947 and received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Prentiss Institute in 1967, three years before her death in 1970.
Citation:
Author: Madeline Goebel
Citation:
The papers of the Collins Family held at the Amistad Research Center.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Collection
Identifier: 093
Scope and Contents
The Collins Family Papers consist of correspondence dated 1889-1987 that comprises about one-third of the collection. The majority of the letters are between Sophronia A. Collins Easley and her brother Malachi C. Collins and husband Willis Easley, in addition to communication with other family members and friends. Of note are the letters sent to Sophronia A. Collins Easley from various evangelical and ecumenical lay persons and clerics in the United States and Canada. Also included are the...
Dates:
Created: 1889-1988; Other: Majority of material found in 1900-1960; Other: Date acquired: 01/01/1985
Collection
Identifier: 094
Scope and Contents
The records of the Collins Funeral Home consist of correspondence, meeting minutes, legal documents, financial records, general business records, printed ephemera, newsletters, and memorabilia. Resonating throughout the collection include the contributions of two African American women in the male-dominated funeral and mortuary science profession. This collection is ideal for the study of African American small businesses, businesswomen, and the exploration of the intersectionality of...
Dates:
Created: 1914-1990; Other: Majority of material found in 1940-1970; Other: Date acquired: 01/01/1987
