Winifred Collins
| Winifred Collins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 26, 1911 Great Falls, Montana |
| Died | May 5, 1999 (aged 87) Hospice of Northern Virginia |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1962 |
| Rank | Captain |
| 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.
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). 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. 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 while living Seattle with one of her brothers.
In 1930 she received a scholarship from the Brunswig Drug Corporation to attend the University of Southern California. She graduated with a Major in business, in 1935. It was in 1935 that she married her first husband Roy Quick. Also in that year, Collins got a job as the Personnel manager of Brunswig Drug Corporation. She recommended a number of changes to the President of the company; she suggested that the employees should be paid according to their performance and job type, regardless of gender. Because of the subsequent improvement in productivity Collins was financed, in 1937, to attend the Harvard-Radcliffe Training Course in Personnel Administration. In 1938, she was one of five who graduated from the first course.
Dr. , 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.
...
Wikipedia