Dr. Margaret Collins

American Entomologist and Civil Rights Activist

Dr. Margaret Collins (1922–1996) was an American Entomologist and Civil Rights Activist.

FAST FACTS:

• As a child, she was extremely intelligent and was always interested in wildlife

• When she was only 14 years old, she began studying at West Virginia State University

• She was the first black woman to obtain a Ph.D. in entomology. Her nickname was the ‘Termite Lady’ as her termites were her main area of focus

• She was also a civil rights activist. She fought against racial inequality and even created a symposium that discussed inequality in science

• She collected numerous materials that now live in the Collins Collection at the National Museum of Natural History

To learn more about Dr. Collins check out the links below:

• Margaret S. Collins, Pioneering Black Entomologist
• Child Prodigy, Pioneer Scientist, and Women and Civil Rights Advocate: Dr. Margaret James Strickland Collins (1922–1996)
• Science Heroes: Dr. Margaret S. Collins, the ‘Termite Lady’
• Margaret Collins: Scholar, Civil Rights Activist, and Mentor