James A. Collins Speeches and Articles
S284
after 1909-circa 1931, undated
1 folder
Manuscript Section, Indiana Division
Indiana State Library
Processed by: Christina Baich, April 2006
Biographical Note:
James Adams Collins was born on October 12, 1870 in Arlington, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph and Jane (LaVelle) Collins. In 1895, he married Lillie T. Knapp with whom he had two children, John and Elizabeth. That same year he moved to Indianapolis where he entered the law office of Griffith & Potts. Prior to this move, Collins worked in Massachusetts and New York.
In 1899, Collins was appointed deputy prosecuting attorney. After two years, he became deputy prosecutor of the Police Court, where he remained for another two years. In 1904, he graduated from the Indianapolis Law School and began practicing at Averill & Collins. He was with the firm until 1909, when he was elected judge of the Indianapolis City Court. While judge of the Police Court, Collins instituted an adult probation system. In 1914, he was elected judge of the Marion County criminal court, a post he maintained for at least three terms. He died on December 4, 1946.
Sources:
Brown, Paul Donald, ed. Indianapolis Men of Affairs, 1923. Indianapolis: American Biographical Society, 1923.
Monks, Leander J. Courts and Lawyers of Indiana, Volume III. Indianapolis: Federal Publishing Co., 1916.
Thompson, Donald E., comp. Indiana Authors and their Books, 1967-1980. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College, 1981.
Scope and Content Note:
The collection contains a typescript of an article by James Collins on the origin of the Indianapolis Juvenile Court as well as a number of printed pamphlets of speeches and articles by Collins. All the materials deal with the justice system, primarily the probation system that Collins first instituted in the Indianapolis city court.
Item Listing:
[after 1909] “The Probation System in the City Court of Indianapolis,” pamphlet
1915 Apr. “Probation—A Practical Help to the Delinquent,” reprinted from National Municipal Review,
pamphlet
1917 Oct. 1 “The State—An Offender,” paper read before State Conference of Charities and Corrections
at LaPorte, Ind., pamphlet
1918 Oct. 5 “Looking Forward,” address given while President of the Indiana State Conference of
Charities and Corrections at Evansville, Ind., pamphlet
1923 July 6 “Social Service in the Administration of Justice,” pamphlet (2 copies)
circa 1931 Article on Indianapolis Juvenile Court, typescript, 2 p.
undated “A Plea for a Probation System in the Police Court,” pamphlet
Collection Information:
Size of Collection:
1 folder (7 items)
Collection Dates:
after 1909-circa 1931, undated
Provenance:
Indiana Historical Bureau, 23 February 1931
Access: This collection is open for research.
Restrictions:
None
Reproduction Rights:
Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library. Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats:
None
Related Holdings:
Notes:
Search the Indiana State Library's Online Catalog.