David Charles Collier

David Charles Collier, commonly known as D. C. Collier or as "Charlie" and sometimes given the honorary title of "Colonel", was an American real estate developer, civic leader, and philanthropist in San Diego, California, during the early years of the 20th century. He is best known as the organizer and director of San Diego's Panama–California Exposition (1915–16). He was also a prime developer of several areas of San Diego as well as La Mesa and Ramona. In his day he was described as "San Diego's foremost citizen." They had two sons, David Copley Collier and Ira Clifton Collier. David became a military aviator and was killed in a crash during World War I. Ira moved to New York City and became a newspaperman. D. C. Collier married his second wife, Ruth E. Everson, on November 14, 1915. Following her death in 1916, he married Clytie B. Lyon on December 13, 1919.

Career After his father's death in 1899 he went into law practice with Judge W. P. Andrews and later with Sam F. Smith. Many of his clients paid him in real estate instead of cash, often unloading undeveloped parcels that they considered worthless. Pacific Beach, University Heights, Normal Heights, North Park, East San Diego, and Encanto. He built a railroad line to Ocean Beach in 1909, greatly hastening development there, and is considered by some to be the "true father of Ocean Beach".

He also bought property in Ramona including five gold mines, and built a country home there on a 240-acre ranch. He also owned a home and poultry farm in La Mesa (then called La Mesa Springs), and built the city's first springhouse to bottle and sell water.

As his business prospered he took a leading role in civic affairs, influencing the city's decision about where to purchase water, persuading Glenn H. Curtiss to bring his fledgling aviation company to North Island in Coronado, and helping the city of San Diego gain possession of its tidelands from the state. He served as president of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. He served on the staff of California governor James Gillett from 1907 to 1911. It was Gillett who gave him the courtesy title of "Colonel," which stuck with him for the rest of his life. The theme exhibit, particularly focused on the anthropology of the Southwestern United States, later became the San Diego Museum of Man, of which he was a founder.

He served without pay, paid his own travel expenses to Sacramento and Washington to lobby for the Exposition, and donated $500,000 to the Exposition. By 1914 his business was suffering so badly that he had to resign as president and go back to practicing law and selling real estate. He remained active with the Exposition, serving as a public relations commissioner. As a trustee of the defunct Wonderland Amusement Park in Ocean Beach he arranged to sell its exotic animals to the fledgling San Diego Zoo.

Later career He ran unsuccessfully for city council (1917) and for county supervisor (1932). He continued his development activities, particularly in Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Between 1918 and 1930 he took a variety of positions in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, including several positions directing major expositions. In 1930 he resumed the practice of law in San Diego. He died of a heart attack on November 13, 1934; his estate proved to be close to bankruptcy. Since he was a Freemason, he was buried in a Masonic section of Mount Hope Cemetery.

Recognition A plaque honoring him was installed in the California Quadrangle area of Balboa Park in 1936 during the second San Diego exposition, the California Pacific International Exposition, which used the same Balboa Park site and many of the buildings from the first exposition.