alumnae spotlight
IN HER FOOTSTEPS
Ellie Collinson ’98 & Susan Smith Collinson ’62
Like mother, like daughter. Susan Smith Collinson ’62 and Ellie Collinson ’98 share a close bond, made even stronger by their connection to their alma mater. A family gathering a few years ago would
that her grandmother even “wanted to go
to look into holistic practices and start
have made Eliza Bailey Masters smile.
hunting on her honeymoon.”
her longtime work as a teacher of The Alexander Technique. She joined the
Susan Smith Collinson ’62 and her
Susan and her three sisters followed in
Dobbs Alumnae/i Association Board and
daughter, Ellie Collinson ’98, together
their mother’s footsteps. “My parents liked
the School’s Board of Trustees in 1987.
with Susan’s younger sisters, Barbara S.
the idea of an ‘all-girls’ education,” Susan
(She served on the Alumnae/i Board until
Smith ’71, Nancy Smith Robbins ’65 and
explained, “and my mother believed it was
1990 and the Board of Trustees until
Alexandra “Sandy” Smith ’67, started to
important for all four of her daughters to
1998.) This gave her the opportunity to
harmonize. “My aunt Sandy plays ukulele,
attend Dobbs and not give any advantage
expose Ellie to all things Dobbs — from
and we were all singing folk songs and
to one daughter over another.”
Annual Fund phone-a-thons to the
some of the songs we used to sing in
popular Estherwood Boutique events. She
Glee Club,” Ellie said. “I was trying to get
Like her mother, Susan loved her time at
them to remember the words to ‘Loreley’
Dobbs. She was a member of the dance
because it was one of my favorite songs.”
club and took on a leadership role as
Ellie thrived at Dobbs and enjoyed
vice president of the senior class. “Miss
exploring different interests. After
“Then we all broke out into our best
Sheldon (science) and Miss Nichols
participating in the Swiss term abroad
rendition of the ‘Tower Song,’” Susan
(ancient history) were my favorite
in eighth grade, she decided that she
fondly recalled.
teachers,” she shared.
wanted to board upon her return; she soon
encouraged Ellie to apply.
moved into Cole. Like her grandmother,
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It was the perfect snapshot of the Smith-
Between her education and volunteering
Ellie pursued athletics (field hockey and
Collinson family’s Dobbs legacy, which also
at the Dobbs Ferry Hospital, Susan
lacrosse). “It was nice to be able to stay
includes Susan’s niece Laura Robbins ’98.
developed an interest in the health care
on campus after games,” she said. “I was
The family’s history with the School began
field. When she was accepted to the
also a member of Phoenix (the honorary
with their matriarch and Susan’s mother,
University of Michigan, she was thrilled,
theater society), DAA (Dobbs Athletic
Barbara Smith ’31. Barbara and her sisters,
explaining that “I wanted to go to nursing
Association) and the winter musicals,
Frances Hunt Austin ’30 and Janet Hunt
school and get a bachelor’s degree and
so I was more involved in after-school
Elliman ’29, all attended Dobbs together.
have a broader education.”
activities. I liked being independent.”
Susan remembers her mother as “a sporty
Susan worked part time as a nurse when
After Dobbs, Ellie attended Colorado
type” who was “a great tennis player, a
she and her husband settled in Chappaqua,
College and earned a degree in Asian
great golfer and loved to sail.” Ellie noted
New York. During this time, she began
studies and music, followed by a
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BULLETIN Spring 2022
