New documentary tells story of how Collins Aerospace played role in birth of the internet

‘The Collins Story

Oct. 7, 2025 5:30 am

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A new documentary tells the story of how a Cedar Rapids-based company played a crucial role in the birth of the internet on Nov. 22, 1977.

“The Collins Story — The Internet Connection” will premiere at Collins Road Theatres in Marion on Saturday, Nov. 1, with two screenings at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Admission is free.

The documentary features interviews with Collins engineers who were part of the program that resulted in the first message sent via internet in 1977.

Additional screenings are being planned around Iowa and at film festivals across the country. The documentary is one of a series of award-winning films presented by the Arthur A. Collins Legacy Association and produced by Busbee Creative Media and Wired Production Group.

The association is a nonprofit organization with a mission to collect, preserve and interpret the legacy of Arthur Collins and the Collins Radio Company he founded.

More information can be found at TheCollinsStory.org, CollinsAerospaceMuseum.org, and on YouTube @TheCollinsStory.