1981 – Gainesville, Florida
A former probate and juvenile court judge and president of the state bar association, Mary Stallings Coleman became the first woman Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1973 and Chief Justice in 1979. Mrs. Coleman graduated from the University of Maryland, where she was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Mortar Board, a recipient of the Senior Award as the woman contributing most to the university, and of the International Wyman Award from Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Justice Coleman has received fifteen honorary degrees from American colleges and universities. Since retirement Justice Coleman has served on the boards of Kmart Corporation, National Bank of Detroit and Wm. R. Biggs/Gilmore Associates. She was among the first inductees into the University of Maryland Hall of Fame and Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. She founded the K-12 Law Education program adopted by the schools of Michigan, for which an annual award carries her name. Among her awards: the first by the Calhoun County Board of Education for Service to Youth, the Champion of Justice Award of the Michigan State Bar, Michigan Business and Professional Women’s Award, Religious Heritage of America (Law) Award, Mother of Achievement in American History Award, Outstanding Citizen Award (Michigan State University), Distinguished Alumni Award (University of Maryland), Distinguished Career Achievement (George Washington University), the D.A.R. Medal of Honor and two joint Resolutions of Commendation by the Michigan Legislature. A world traveler who was born in Texas, she married Creighton R. Coleman (deceased), lawyer, Circuit Judge and former Majority Leader, Michigan State Senate. Their two daughters graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School. (Deceased 2001)
