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 ichard
H. Collins is a Dallas native. He is also a member of
the sixth generation of a Texas family renowned
for its many contributions to the state's economic, political
and civic growth throughout the decades.
Below
are brief profiles of several of his closest relatives. You can
access detailed information about each member of the Collins family
in the Collins
Family Genealogy.
His grandfather, Carr Pritchett Collins, organized
the Fidelity Union Life Insurance Company in 1927 and served as
its chairman of the board and president. The Company was sold
in 1979 for $340 million. A leader in the insurance industry and
winner of the Horatio Alger Award, Carr P. Collins was a highly
successful investor. In 1925, he bought the burned out Crazy Hotel
in Mineral Wells, Texas and rebuilt it.
As the great depression began and hotel vacancies soared he started
a radio show in February, 1930 in Dallas to preach about the benefits
of Crazy Water Crystals, a dehydrated mineral from area waters
with medicinal benefits. With hillbilly music and his brother
Hal preaching more than selling, sales took off and Collins made
his fortune during the economic collapse.
He also was one of the founders of the Baptist Foundation of Texas
and a long-time trustee of Baylor University. He was a generous
supporter of Baptist universities and charities. In addition,
Carr P. Collins served as the inspiration for the Carr P. Collins
Award, given each year by the Texas Institute of Letters for the
best book written by a Texas author.
In 1962 he founded the Carr P. Collins Foundation which is now
the Calvert K. Collins Foundation.
 His
father, Carr P. Collins, Jr., graduated from Southern
Methodist University and attended the Harvard School of Business.
During World War II, he served in the Pacific Theater as a Major
and executive officer of an air rescue squadron. He was a vice
president of Fidelity Union Life and served as president of the
Southwest Bank and Trust Company, Investment Trust Company, and
Brinson-Collins Oil Company.
His uncle, James Mitchell Collins, graduated
from SMU and received MBAs from both Harvard and Northwestern
University. He served as president of Fidelity Union Life Insurance
Company from 1947 until 1961. A successful entrepreneur in electronics
and real estate, Jim was a member of U.S. Congress from 1968 to
1983.
His mother, Calvert Keoun Collins, was the first
woman elected to the Dallas City Council in 1957. She has always
participated in the activities of her children, serving as president
of the PTA, and a life member of the Texas Congress of Parents
and Teachers. She has also been a director of the Dallas Legal
Aid Society and the Junior League of Dallas.
An avid investor, she manages her own financial affairs and serves
as trustee for several family trusts. Her investments through
the years have spanned the areas of stocks and bonds, real estate,
farming and ranching. Calvert K. Collins was a director of Fidelity
Union Life Insurance Company and Union Bank and Trust, both of
Dallas.
Richard H. Collins has two daughters, Calvert
S. Collins and Genevieve D. Collins.
Calvert is a television reporter in Las Vegas, Nevada. Genevieve
is working in marketing in Dallas. In 2005, she participated in the United States
Olympic rowing development camp in Madison, Wisconsin.
From 1981-89, Richard H. Collins was a member
of the Texas Historical Commission. From 1990-91, he was also
a member of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the entity which
oversees the prison and parole systems in Texas. He serves on
the Board of numerous charitable organizations.
A Methodist, Richard H. Collins lives in Dallas, Texas.
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