Lorin C. Collins Jr.

Lorin Cone Collins Jr. (August 1, 1848 – October 18, 1940) was an American politician and judge from Connecticut. A graduate of Northwestern University, Collins entered politics at a young age and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. He served three two-year terms in the lower house, the last of which he was Speaker of the House. Collins was appointed as the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1884, serving until 1893. In 1905, Collins was appointed to the Supreme Court of the Panama Canal Zone.

Biography

Lorin Cone Collins Jr. was born in Windsor, Connecticut on August 1, 1848. His namesake father was a Methodist Episcopal preacher. In 1852, the Collinses moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. Collins attended the preparatory school at Ohio Wesleyan University. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, when he was twenty, then attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1874. Collins studied law under Clarkson & Van Schaack in Chicago and was admitted to the bar in 1874. Collins was appointed an associate justice to the Supreme Court of the Panama Canal Zone in 1905.

Collins married Nellie Robb in 1873. They had three surviving children: George R., Lorin C. III, and Grace. He was active in Freemasonry and was a Knight Templar. He was also a member of the Union League Club of Chicago.