Collins House (founded in the 1968-69 academic year and came into effect in the 1969-70 year), was named after Revd Prebendary R L Collins. Revd Collins had a long history with the school; in 1941 he was appointed as chaplain of the school, a role that eventually led to him being appointed as a governor in 1944. By 1951 he was elected as Deputy Chairman, and in 1959 he was elected as the Chairman of Governors, holding this post until 1968.
To introduce the new house, an article from the 1969 Easter Term edition of the Exonian stated:
Next September a new House will ‘come into being’. This will be Collins House, after the late Prebendary R.L Collins who was Chairman of the Governors from 1951 – 1968 and, as such, will take as the basis of its symbol the coat of arms of Prebendary Collins’ college at Cambridge. The Housemaster will be Mr G.E Ayres, and the Head of House will be N.D. Walkey
George Ayres held the post until the 1985-86 academic year.