Most Worshipful Brother James William Collins

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1924.

Grand Lodges do well to turn to business men, often, for leadership in Craft affairs. Professional men-and the writer of this speaks advisedly-are all right, and not infrequently furnish a strong administration, but it is well to sandwich in now and then one whose training, experience, and view point are characteristic of the business world. Such men-particularly when successful in their chosen fields -are apt to approach problems from an angle different from that of men trained for, and in, other callings. Not only is this true, but further, they are apt to bring to the discharge of their duties as administrators of Masonic affairs those qualities which make for efficiency, and that vigor and energy which bring things to pass-"put them over," in other words.

At all events, a business man is to lead the Craft of the Bee-Hive State this year-he has other qualifications for the position, but the one named is sufficient.

As indicated above, the Grand Master of Utah is a wide awake and widely known, thorough-going, successful business man, of many interests, not all of which are listed here, owing to a certain insuperable modesty which makes it a difficult matter to get from him information concerning himself.

Brother James William Collins, M: .W: .Grand Master, is a product of Western environment and training. He is a native son of our neighboring State, Wyoming, and was born at Cheyenne, June 1st, 1884.

Horace Greely's advice may not have had any great influence with him, but none the less he appears to have felt the pull Westward early in life, for he came to Salt Lake in June, 1894. Here he continued school work, begun in Cheyenne, until the end of the first year in High School. Beginning with the summer vacation of 1899, Brother Collins, then fifteen years of age, secured a position with Brother Russel L. Tracy, as office boy, and has been associated with him continuously since that date. In these twenty-five years he has seen this business grow from a point when the office force consisted of the proprietor, a stenographer, and an office boy, to its present position in the financial world, when forty employees are required to look after its varied interests and expanding business. During that time, too, the business was incorporated under the name of The Tracy Loan & Trust Company, and of this, the Grand Master is Vice President.

Like all busy men, he has found time for other interests. He was president of the Salt Lake Rotary Club at the time (1919) when the International Rotary Convention was held in this city. He was a member of the Board of Governors, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, 1922-1924, and is Vice President of the Associated Banks & Trust Companies. In 1918, when someone was needed who could "put over" the War Savings drive, Brother Collins was selected for that task, and made State Chairman. He is president of the Country Club, and shares with four others the distinction of being an honorary member of the University Club.

In September, 1913, Brother Collins was married to Miss Margaret Spargo, of Ogden.

The Grand Master's Masonic record is as follows: He was initiated in Mt. Moriah Lodge No.2, F. & A. M., Salt Lake City, November 10, 1910; passed to the degree of Fellow Craft Jan. 16, 1911, and raised Jan. 30, 1911. In the following year his name appears in the roster of officers of Mt. Moriah Lodge as Junior Steward, and he continued to advance till December, 1916, when he was elected Worshipful Master.

At the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge, January, 1920, he was appointed Grand Marshall; at the 50th Annual Communication, 1921, he was elected Junior Grand Warden, and was then regularly advanced till the present year, when he was the unanimous choice of the brethren as Grand Master.

He took the Scottish Rite degrees with the October class, 1911, and ten years later, almost to a day, he was elected to receive the rank and decoration of a K. C. C. H.

On March 27th, 1912, he became a member of El Kalah Temple, Mystic Shrine, and during the year 1923 he served that organization as its efficient Illustrious Potentate.

In addition to the qualifications for the high position he occupies enumerated, or indicated, above, the new Grand Master has a pleasing personality, is genial, considerate, companionable, likeable, and ready to help tote the other fellow's load.

Such, briefly, is the story-or a very small part of it-of Utah's Grand Master. If the year does not show a wise, vigorous, businesslike, eminently successful administration of Craft affairs in our State, then the writer of these lines will be looked for in vain among the prophets !

Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1924.

PGM, James William Collins died on August 14, 1954 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1955, page 103.