Richard H. Collins

 

Richard H. Collins, a businessman and entrepreneur, is committed to making quality education available to all children. Mr. Collins graduated from SMU in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. A chairman of two commercial banks, real estate developer, wildcatter and media investor, Mr. Collins co-founded Istation in 1998. Istation is a global leader in education technology. He has served as its chairman and CEO since 2007. In 1992, he founded the Children’s Education Fund, which provides money to Dallas children to attend the school their parents choose. Mr. Collins created the Today Foundation, which includes initiatives such as the Texas Leadership Forum to teach Dallas-area high school students about government, civic engagement and the free-market economy, and the Collins Academy, which teaches science, technology and history to students in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. From 1981-1989, Mr. Collins served on the Texas Historical Commission, working toward the preservation of Jefferson, Texas, and the building of an ecological park for teaching students about the environment. He serves on the Simmons School of Education and Human Development executive board and the Tower Center board.