Article

Ralph Edgar Collins

Published Online November 4, 2007

Last Edited December 16, 2013

Ralph Edgar Collins, diplomat (b at Kunming, China 23 Nov 1914; d 1 Jan 1992). An officer in the Dept of External Affairs, 1940-79, known for his brilliance in finding the right words to suit any occasion, Collins rose to be ambassador to S Africa and assistant undersecretary.

Collins, Ralph Edgar

Ralph Edgar Collins, diplomat (b at Kunming, China 23 Nov 1914; d 1 Jan 1992). An officer in the Dept of External Affairs, 1940-79, known for his brilliance in finding the right words to suit any occasion, Collins rose to be ambassador to S Africa and assistant undersecretary. He was an acknowledged China expert, having served there in WWII, and twice headed External Affairs' Far Eastern Division. Collins was Canada's first ambassador to the People's Republic of China, serving 1971-72.