Josephine Collins was a prominent suffragist from Framingham, Massachusetts, dedicated to securing women's right to vote. Born to Irish immigrants, she was the eldest of six siblings and lived on Salem End Road.
A resilient entrepreneur, Josephine managed her family's Collins Market during World War I and later established a tea room, a dry goods store, and a periodicals shop in South Framingham. She later worked as a bookkeeper at Babson College.
In 1918, she joined the National Woman’s Party (NWP) and actively campaigned
for women’s suffrage. On February 24, 1919, she participated in a rally on Boston Common, holding a sign that read, "Mr. President, how long must women wait
for liberty?" Arrested along with 21 other women, she refused to pay her fine and was sentenced to eight days in the Charles Street Jail. Her brother eventually paid her fine, though she regretted not serving her full sentence in solidarity with her fellow suffragists.
Her activism had financial repercussions, as some discouraged patronage of her store, but she remained committed to the cause. She was awarded the "Jailed for Freedom" pin, now preserved at the Framingham History Center.
Josephine passed away on May 1, 1960. In recognition of her contributions, Framingham dedicated Mayo-Collins Square at Oak Street and Edgell Road
in her honor, alongside fellow suffragist Louise Parker Mayo.