Sir William Collins was a famous figure in the temperance movement

Temperance movement

A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...

 who served as Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

's Lord Provost

Lord Provost

A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...

 between 1877 and 1880.

He joined his father, William Collins

William Collins (publisher)

William Collins was a Scottish schoolmaster and publisher.Collins was born near Glasgow in 1789. In 1819 he set up a publishing business, initially selling religious books. He produced the first Collins dictionary in 1824, when he also obtained a licence to publish the Bible...

, printing company in 1848 and helped expand the business into publishing. In 1868, his two sons became partners in the business and it was renamed William Collins, Sons & Co

HarperCollins

HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...

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Sir William Collins was also politically active, campaigning for the temperance cause throughout his life. Aside from serving as Lord Provost, he also was elected to the Town Council as a Liberal in 1868, became a magistrate in 1873, helped to form the Glasgow Liberal Association in 1878 and became involved in the Glasgow School Board (1888–1894).

In recognition of his public service, in 1880 he was knighted and in 1881 supporters of the temperance movement, erected a fountain in his name, in Glasgow Green

Glasgow Green

Glasgow Green is a park situated in the east end of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde. It is the oldest park in the city dating back to the 15th century.In 1450, King James II granted the land to Bishop William Turnbull and the people of Glasgow...

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"Erected by temperance reformers in recognition of valuable services rendered to the temperance cause by Sir William Collins, Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow 1877-1880. 29 October 1881."