James “Jim” Judson Collins, Jr. was born on March 24, 1920 in Union, South Carolina, the son of James J. and Marie Wilburn Collins. Collins attended Furman University, graduating in 1940.  Collins was described in the 1940 Bonhomie yearbook as having “one of the best collections of classical recordings,” able to “talk for hours about movie photography and Thomas Wolfe,” and the best “conversationalist on campus.”

After serving in WWII, Collins spent many years broadcasting in the Carolinas and traveling in Europe. He joined WHA Public Radio Network in Madison, Wisconsin where he produced many programs, including Books, Authors and Critics.  In addition to being “host” of Etcetera, described as a lighthearted half-hour program built on humorous readings from The New Yorker and similarly urbane sources, Collins also produced and narrated Kaleidoscope, a 75-minute magazine program that combined talks, readings, and appropriate music.

Collins died on January 9, 1977 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.