Harrison Collins, 84, an educator at Sunset Ridge School, Northfield, since it was a two-room schoolhouse, died Jan. 25 of congestive heart failure at Glenbrook Hospital. Mr. Collins was hired by the single-school District 29 in 1944 when there were 50 students scattered between 1st and 5th grades and his duties included teaching and driving the school bus. As the school grew Mr. Collins became superintendent. He retired in 1976 after 32 years on the job. During his time at Sunset, Mr. Collins presided over the addition of a kindergarten, 6th, 7th and 8th grades and numerous expansions that brought enrollment to its peak of 700 students. It has more than 500 students today. “He was my 6th-grade teacher, and he was the best teacher I ever had,” said his son, James, now the U.S. ambassador to Russia. “What I learned from him is that the most interesting things are the human elements. He was fond of quoting Alexander Pope: `The greatest study of mankind is man.’ ” Mr. Collins was responsible for several innovations during his tenure, including enrolling kindergarten students on their fifth birthday rather than making them wait until the beginning of the next school year. Mr. Collins is survived by his wife, Caroline; two sons, James and Jefferson; and two grandchildren. Services are private.
