Collett - John
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 17 March 1899
John Collett, one of the best known citizens of Indiana, died in Indianapolis Wednesday. He was an uncle of Henry and S. C. Campbell, of this city. Mr. Collett was born at Eugene, Vermillion County, Indiana. His father was born in Pennsylvania and was for several years deputy United States surveyor in Indiana and Ohio. His grandfather was a soldier under Washington. One of his ancestors was John Collett, twice lord mayor of London in the reign of Henry VII. At the age of ten years he entered the preparatory department of Wabash College. He was graduated in 1847 with the degree of A. B. The degree of A. M. was conferred on him five years later and in 1870 he received the degree of Ph. D. He was elected to the state senate in 1870 from Parke and Vermillion Counties, and served in two regular and one special session of the legislature. Prof. E. T. Cox was state geologist about that time and he employed Mr. Collett, who had been a student of geology from childhood to make detailed geological examinations of the state. He succeeded Prof. Cox as state geologist and in 1878 Governor Williams appointed him state house commissioner. The next year he became the head of the new bureau of statistics and geology. -s
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 17 March 1899
Indianapolis, March 16—John Collett, for many years chief of the Indiana bureau of statistics and geology, is dead. Mr. Collett was born in Vermillion County, Jan. 6, 1828. He represented Parke and Vermillion Counties in the state senate for two terms. In 1878, he was appointed statehouse commissioner by Governor Williams. -s