Samuel Carnes Collier (May 14, 1912 – September 23, 1950) was an American

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

entrepreneur and auto racer. He made his fortune in

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

advertising.

Family

Collier was the son of Barron Gift Collier and Juliet Gordon Carnes, the founders of

Collier County, Florida Collier County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census. Its county seat is East N ...

. He had two brothers, (Cowles) Miles Collier and Baron Collier Jr. He married Dixie Thompson from

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

in 1936. Together they had three children, Samuel Carnes Collier Jr., Terry Collier and Richard Collier.

Career

As a teenager Collier completed three seasons as a designer, proprietor, and manager of the Overlook Theatre, in

Pocantico Hills Pocantico Hills is a hamlet in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, New York, United States. The Rockefeller family estate, anchored by Kykuit, the family seat built by John D. Rockefeller Sr., is located in Pocantico Hills, as is the a ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He attended

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

where he was a member of

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

. He graduated in 1935. He served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a Navy pilot. "He was one of the founders of the

Automobile Racing Club of America The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager, who took over the position in 1996 following the death of Bob Log ...

, competed in the 1939 Alpine Trial, and was the founder of the concern of Motor Sport, Inc., sole American importers of M.G. cars." In 1949 Collier finished third overall, and first in Class E, in the Seneca Cup Race, at

Watkins Glen, New York Watkins Glen is a village and census-designated place in and the county seat of Schuyler County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,829. Watkins Glen lies within the towns of Dix and Reading. To the southwest o ...

, driving a supercharged MG. Collier drove in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans: "Of the two Cadillacs entered by

Briggs Cunningham Briggs Swift Cunningham II (January 19, 1907 – July 2, 2003) was an American entrepreneur and sportsman. He is best known for skippering the yacht ''Columbia'' to victory in the 1958 America's Cup race, and for his efforts as a driver, team o ...

, the strictly stock saloon, driven by the brothers Miles and Sam Collier, which had been nicknamed 'Clumsy Pup', had come in tenth at an average of 81.398 m.p.h."

Death

Samuel was killed while leading the (September 23) 1950

Watkins Glen Grand Prix The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...

, held on public roads in and around the village of Watkins Glen,

, when the

Ferrari 166 Ferrari used its 2 L (1995 cc/121 in3) V12 engine in a number of models, all called 166 for the displacement of a single cylinder. Most early 166es were sports cars built for racing, though a later line of GT cars launched the compan ...

that he was driving left the road. He died at 6:30 pm in

Montour Falls Montour Falls is a village located in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 2,714 at the time of the 2020 census. A waterfall at the end of West Main Street gives the village its name. The name "Montour" is derived from Q ...

. The accident received front-page coverage in the New York press.Gene M. Burnett, Florida's Past, Volume 3, Pineapple Press, Sarasota, Florida, 1991 A memorial stone was placed at the spot where Sam Collier left the road. His brother, Miles, gave up racing soon thereafter and died of

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

in 1954. Samuel was honored in 1995 in front of the Court House at that year's Watkins Glen Grand Prix Festival.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collier, Sam 1912 births 1950 deaths 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers American marketing people American motorsport people American racing drivers Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in New York (state) MG Motor Yale College alumni

Family

Career

Death

References

Further reading

External links