James L. Collins (1883-1953) was a self-made oil man later turned banker and community philanthropist. Collins grew up in
Weston, West Virginia.
In the early 1920s, at the time of the discovery of
Powell oil field in eastern Navarro County, Texas, and the nearby Mexia field in Limestone County, he formed a partnership with R.L. Wheelock in
Corsicana, Texas
Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-busines ...
.
Collins soon became well known in the petroleum industry and active in community and church roles. He eventually won an election as an officer of the Mid-Continental Oil and Gas industry Association and of the
Independent Petroleum Association of America The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is a lobbying group for oil and gas producers in the United States.
Overview
It was founded on June 10, 1929, by President Herbert Hoover. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, ''P ...
, and served as director of Corsicana's First National Bank.
At his death in Corsicana, Texas in 1953, Collins' estate was apportioned among four major beneficiaries: a namesake parochial school, The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children, St. Joseph's Orphanage of Dallas, and a scholarship fund to help graduates of Corsicana High School attend college.
The James L. Collins Elementary School today has about 175 students in grades K-8. After thousands of awards and now nearing 60 years since their initial establishment, the local college scholarships continue to be awarded yearly to a few dozen students.
2009 Collins Scholarship Recipients Named (Corsicana Daily Sun)
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, James L.
American businesspeople in the oil industry
1953 deaths
1883 births