Collier, William E., 1902-1977

American silent film star.

William E. Collier (1902-1977), a resident of Haycock Township and of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, worked for Pennsylvania's Bureau of Employment Security in several capacities from the 1930s to the 1960s. Collier served as Manager for the Pennsylvania State Employment Service for Philadelphia County, as Labor Relations Representative for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Philadelphia, and as Associate Director of the Bureau of Employment and Unemployment Compensation. A majority of his work related to the state's response to the Great Depression, unemployment compensation, and labor unions.

Collier was also an avid amateur historian, and was particularly interested in the history of Bucks County. He was involved with the Bucks County Historical Society and conducted research on local history topics. Collier spent a significant amount of time creating photographic documentation of Bucks County landmarks. From 1966 until his death, Collier traveled around the county and surrounding areas to take color slides of covered bridges, barns, one-room schoolhouses, mills, and other sites. When a plan was introduced to flood an inhabited section of Bucks County to create Lake Nockamixon, Collier opposed the plan. A major focus of his photography was documenting the architectural and geographic features slated for destruction in creating Lake Nockamixon State Park. Despite opposition from Collier and others, the lake was created and the park opened to the public in 1973.