Inventory of the Papers of Lewis Preston Collins

21 boxes (9.1 linear feet)<extent>1 arbitrary_unit</extent>

There are no restrictions.

There are no restrictions.

Papers of Lewis Preston Collins, MSS 85-6, Box Number, Special Collections, University of Virginia Law Library.

Lewis Preston ("Pat") Collins was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1896. He was educated in the public schools of Marion, Virginia and attended Washington and Lee University until he was called to serve in World War I. In 1919 he began the study of law at Yale University and was awarded the LL.B. in 1922, the same year that he received his B.A. from Washington and Lee. Collins was admitted to the Virginia Bar in July of 1922 and immediately set up his law practice in the town of Marion. As his practice grew, he also became active in local civic organizations and politics, eventually becoming district chairman of the Democratic Party.

Marion, the Smyth County seat, is located in southwest Virginia about forty miles northeast of Bristol and a hundred miles southwest of Roanoke. Collins carried on a civil practice that primarily served people in Smyth and the adjacent counties of Washington and Wythe. Early in his career, he represented individuals in family, probate and real estate matters and served as "committee" for veterans with mental or emotional problems in order that they could receive their Veterans' Administration benefits. In 1933, when the Federal Home Owners' Loan Act established the Home Owners' Loan Corporation, Collins served as local counsel and handled closings for the Corporation. A year later he was appointed Commissioner of Accounts of the Circuit Court of Smyth County, and became responsible for the settlement of accounts when wills were probated in that court. Toward the end of the 1930's, Collins began to make investigations, settle claims, and handle lawsuits for the Virginia Auto Mutual, Pennsylvania, and State Farm insurance companies. When the State Highway Department began planning to build Route 11 through his area of the state, he represented the department in disputes over the value of land and handled the settlements of payment for land claimed for the highway. Soon thereafter, he began to handle similar cases for the Norfolk and Western Railway, which was running a track parallel to the new highway. Collins' other corporate clients included the Kroger Grocery and Baking Company, the town of Saltville, the Appalachian Electric Power Company, the Saltville plant of the Mathieson Alkali Works, and the Marion National Bank. He also represented one of the defendants in an antitrust case brought by an independent theatre owner against several competitors and a number of the major film companies.

While Collins represented several "outside" interests in his practice, he also managed to look out for the interests of the community and used his many contacts when asked to do so. His law practice papers demonstrate the influence of a lawyer/Democratic politician in a small Virginia town during the 1930's. Collins was the delegate from his district to the Virginia General Assembly from 1936 until 1946 when he was elected Lieutenant Governor. After serving a term under Governor William M. Tuck, Collins ran and won again, this time to serve with Governor John S. Battle. However, Collins' promising political career was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 56.

The Papers of Lewis Preston Collins were transferred to the Law Library from the Manuscripts Department of Alderman Library in 1985. These papers from Collins' law practice were donated to the University along with his personal and political papers, which have remained at Alderman in accordance with the wishes of the donor, Lewis Preston Collins III.