Collins, Clinton D., M.D.

C. D. Collins, born in Fresno County on May 24, 1885, was a native son who served with signal ability as a local physician and surgeon. The son of the late J. D. Collins, he grew up alongside five brothers and three sisters and received his early education in the public grammar and high schools of his district. He later attended the medical department of Leland Stanford University, graduating in 1911 before completing a nine-month internship at the Alameda County Hospital to enlarge his professional experience. On February 24, 1912, he married Gertrude Drew, the daughter of a well-known attorney named A. M. Drew, and the couple was later blessed with two children named Barbara Drew and Thomas Arthur.

Dr. Collins commenced his private medical practice in Fresno with encouraging success from the very start. His public spirit and alignment with the Democratic banner led to his appointment as County Physician by the Board of Supervisors in January 1915, a role he paired with serving as a visiting surgeon to the county hospital. In June 1918, he entered the service of the United States during the war, enlisting and receiving a commission as a First Lieutenant until his discharge in January 1919. Upon returning to Fresno, he resumed both his private practice and his official connection with the county. He also maintained active professional ties as a member of the County and State Medical Societies, the American Medical Association, and the University Club.