The Illa Collin Papers document the political career of Sacramento County Supervisor Illa Collin. Collin sat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for 28 years, which at the time made her the board's longest-serving member. Her political career included supporting social programs for children, the elderly, the homeless, people with mental illness, and the poor, as well as efforts to protect the environment. She was instrumental in the creation of the region's light-rail system, the American River Parkway, and the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

Illa Collin was born January 24, 1932, in Rock Springs, Wyoming. After her father passed away in a mining accident during World War II, her mother moved the family to Portland, Oregon. She finished high school in Portland and then graduated from the University of Oregon. Collin met her husband, Don, while attending college. After graduating, she taught at schools in Portland, and then she and her husband moved to California, where she first taught at schools in Piedmont. In 1968, the couple moved to Sacramento, where they raised their three daughters, and Collin began working for different political movements and campaigns. She was active in the Women's Movement, and from 1973-1975 led the League of Women Voters in Sacramento. She also worked on improving social services and community planning in Sacramento before taking a seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in 1977.

39 Linear feet (39 boxes)

The collection is open for research.