Born in
Tillie in
Letcher County, Kentucky, Collins was a descendant of John Quincy Brown, the first schoolteacher in Letcher County. He graduated from Carcassonne High School and attended
Morehead State University. After graduating, he was employed as a schoolteacher in the Letcher County Public School District. He served two years in the
U.S. Army during
World War II. In 1969, he was elected to a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives, defeating incumbent Enoch Oliver Holbrook. He served until 1972. Collins died on July 26, 1994, after suffering a stroke. == References ==