Winifred Collins
Winifred Collins | |
---|---|
Born | Captain | November 26, 1911
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Bronze Star Medal Legion of Merit |
Winifred Quick Collins (November 26, 1911 – May 5, 1999) was Chief of Naval Personnel for Women in the United States Navy, and Director of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from 1957 to 1962.
Early life
She was born Winifred Mary Redden, in Great Falls, Montana, United States. She was the third child of four of Daniel A. Redden and Mary Winifred Redden (maiden name Farrell).[1] When Collins was 10 years old, her family moved to Missoula, Montana, to run a hotel. A year later her parents divorced. When she was 11, she contracted a mild case of polio, but fully recovered without suffering a lasting disability.[1] Soon after this her mother abandoned her, and she spent the next few years living with relatives in various locations. After attending High School in four different states, Collins graduated in 1929[1] while living in Seattle with one of her brothers. In 1930 she received a
Military career
Dr. Ada Comstock, the President of Radcliffe College when Collins was educated there, sat on a committee that was looking into the idea of recruiting women into the US Navy. She contacted Collins in June 1942 with a suggestion that she might apply for a commission. On August 4 of that year, Collins graduated from the first female commissioning class held at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, and was commissioned with the rank of Ensign on August 28, 1942.
After the month-long training at Smith College,
In late 1944, the now
In 1946, Collins returned to Washington DC and helped plan the eventual inclusion of females into the Navy;
Her next post was to
Later life, death and legacy
Upon retirement from the navy, Collins became the first female director of the
Collins died at the
In 1973, the
Personal life
Collins was married twice. She was married after she graduated from college to Roy T. Quick. Their marriage lasted from 1937 to 1941 when they divorced.
See also
- List of individuals buried at Arlington National Cemetery
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Collins, Winifred Quick, 1911–. Papers, ca. 1913–2000 (inclusive), 1937–1999 (bulk)". Harvard University Library. March 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- ^ "Guide to Archival Collections". Harvard – Baker library. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- ^ C. Peter Chen. "WAVES: Women in the WW2 US Navy". Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ Captain Barbara A. Wilson, USAF (Ret). "Accomplished Women Buried at Arlington National Cemetery". Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ "Burial Detail: Collins, Winifred Q (Section 3, Grave 1632-C)". ANC Explorer.
- Sources
- Papers, ca. 1913–2000 (inclusive), 1937–1999 (bulk). Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
- Collins, Winifred Quick, Captain, U.S. Navy (Retired) with Herbert M. Levine (1997). More Than A Uniform: A Navy Woman in a Navy Man's World. ISBN 1-57441-022-9.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
External links
- Winifred Quick Collins at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website[better source needed]