Cornelia Collins was born on Broadway, in New York City, at a point where the St. Nicholas Hotel now stands, July 7, 1827.

In early years, she was in sympathy with the anti-slavery movement, and before reaching her majority, became a manager of the Colored Orphan Asylum in her native city.

In that year, and for the first time in the world's history, poor women could consult a regularly graduated physician of their own sex at the dispensary that Blackwell established.

Subsequently, on the request of Susan B. Anthony, she was made vice-president for New Jersey of the National Woman Suffrage Association.

[7] When that work had been brought to a successful termination, Hussey became interested in the claim of Anna Ella Carroll for a government pension, on account of services rendered during the civil war.

Through her efforts, considerable sums of money were raised by private subscription, and articles were published in some of the leading magazines on the work of Carroll.

For at least two decades, Hussey contributed numerous articles to the Woman's Journal and various other reform periodicals, as well as to the papers of her State.

[7] She was one of the fourteen original members of the Woman's Club of Orange, and a trustee of the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.

She was one of the managers of the Colored Orphan Asylum in New York with President Roosevelt's mother, when it was unpopular to befriend African Americans.

She entertained Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Anna Howard Shaw, Carrie Chapman Catt, Amanda Deyo, and others.

[3] In her private park, she entertained the “Little Mothers” from New York, the Whittier House kindergarten and other poor children.

She was a great believer in preaching the gospel of reform through the printed page and she and her daughter, Dr. Mary D. Hussey, who was like-minded with her, have sent out probably more equal suffrage literature than any other two women in the United States.