Warren Collins

Dr. Warren E. Collins was born on May 10, 1921, to Vander Martin and Lillian Cecil Collins. A Kentucky native, Warren served in the US Army in World War II. After returning from service, he came to the Hill. He graduated from WKU in 1947, with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. He then attended the University of Illinois, where he earned his doctorate.

Warren was always thankful for the opportunities and education he received at WKU. Well known and admired, he served as a professor at various universities. He then became an economist, working for different investment and financial counseling businesses. Following retirement from his investment counseling business in 1999, he remained in St. Petersburg, Florida.

He traveled world-wide and was a talented bridge player. He was also a member of the Riviera United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg. He was married to Adeline Collins, and together they had three children: Martha “Marty” Leafe, Tom Collins, and Jack Collins. Warren passed away on April 11, 2008, at the age of 86.

To give back to the university, Warren established the Warren Collins Scholarship Fund in 2004.
The fund assists deserving WKU students who are majoring in business economics or agri-business and who grew up on a farm. Through this fund, Warren’s legacy lives on in perpetuity.