Eugene J. Collins papers

Collection

Identifier: 434

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers of Eugene J. Collins contain professional, as well as personal papers documenting Collins' life as a metallurgist and facilities engineer for the Ford Motor Company. The papers encompass 3.08 linear feet and contain postcards, report cards, and military records, including Collins' order of induction and his honorable discharge from the United States Army. The papers include biographical information, correspondence, employment records, programs and publications, and photographs. Included are photographs of Collins' tenure while he was in the United States Army and stationed in Paris during World War I, as a student and athlete at Coe College, and during his teaching tenure at Tuskegee Institute. Additional photographs feature Robert Russa Moton, Booker T. Washington, a portrait of Frederick Douglass, and a panoramic photograph of Tuskegee Institute.

The collection contains very little correspondence, with the majority focusing on recommendations for teaching positions and civil service jobs. Of note is a July 9, 1917, letter of recommendation from John A. Marquis, President of Coe College to Robert Russa Moton, President of Tuskegee Institute, recommending Collins for a teaching position in the science department. Also of significance is the publicationHampton-Tuskegee Results: A Story Every American Should Know,dated 1924, which is a narrative about Hampton University and Tuskegee Institute.

The collection includes two oversize boxes, which contain certificates, diplomas, a photograph, awards, medals and a newspaper article. The certificates are from Shenandoah High School, Coe College and the United States of America. The United States of America certificate honors the memory of Eugene Collins and is signed by President George Bush. The photograph is of the United States Army 804th infantry in 1919. The medals and awards were given to Collins from the United States Army, from the Tuskegee Negro Conference Farmer's School, and for his participation in various track meets. The newspaper article is a "Letter to Dad" piece in which Collins described his experiences during World War I. The second oversized box contains yearbooks from Coe College from 1916-1917.

Dates

Created: 1907-1990
Other: Majority of material found in 1913-1917
Other: Date acquired: 08/10/1993

Creator

Collins, Eugene J., 1894-1990 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The Eugene J. Collins Papers are open and available for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Any copyrights such as the donor may possess in this property are hereby dedicated to the public. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permission for publication from the holder of the copyright to any material contained in this collection.

Biographical Note

Eugene Collins was a chemist, professor, metallurgist, and a facilities engineer.

Eugene Collins was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 12, 1894, to Russell and Emma Perkins Collins. The Collins family moved to Shenandoah, Iowa, where he attended the local Presbyterian Church and graduated from the public schools. After graduation, Collins enrolled at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, in 1917. After finishing from Coe College, he taught science at Tuskegee Institute, where he also served as head of the science department. During 1917, he entered the United States Army, serving in World War I with the Signal Corps, and attaining the rank of Sergeant Major. While stationed in Paris, he enrolled and graduated from the University of Paris, taking classes in metallurgy.

Upon returning to the United States in 1919, he settled in Detroit, Michigan, and was hired as a metallurgist and facilities engineer by the Ford Motor Company. In this position, he travelled extensively as a representative of the company before his retirement in 1958.

He was married to Josephine M. Collins, and died October 31, 1990, in Detroit, Michigan.