George R. Collins was born in Troy, New York around 1872. He moved to the Kansas City area around 1892, where he joined the Missouri National Guard and was a civil engineer. As an engineer in Kansas City he was involved with many projects including the construction of the Kansas City Union Station. As an officer with the National Guard he commanded a battery of which Harry S. Truman was the clerk. Following his service with the National Guard, Collins had his own engineering business in Kansas City, and during the time Truman was a U.S. Senator, corresponded with him concerning railroads in Missouri and the Midwest. He also sought Truman's aid in obtaining government appointments. Collins was also president of the National Benevolent Society and secretary of the St. Louis-Kansas City Short Line Railroad Company. Collins died in January 1942 in Wadsworth, Kansas.
From the description of Collins, George R., 1872?-1942 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10597866
