{{short description|American politician}}
{{infobox officeholder | name= Carolyn Coleman | image= Carolyn Coleman.jpg | alt = | state_house = Oklahoma | district = 53 | term_start = 1990 | term_end = 2004 | predecessor = John D. Lassiter | successor = Randy Terrill | birth_name = Carolyn Coleman | birth_date = 1952 | birth_place = Oklahoma City, OK | party = Republican | profession = Administrative Assistant }}
'''Carolyn Coleman''' was a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coleman served as a legislator in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1990–2004, representing District 53. Some of the main issues Coleman took up during her time in the legislature include elementary reading, accountability for the spending of citizen's taxes, as well as protecting air and water quality.<ref name="news ok 1">{{cite web|title=State House District 53 Carolyn Coleman (Incumbent), Republican, Moore|url=http://newsok.com/state-house-district-53-carolyn-coleman-incumbent-republican-moore/article/2622899|website=newsok.com|publisher=News OK|accessdate=25 March 2015}}</ref>
==Biography== Carolyn Coleman was born in southeast Oklahoma City in 1952, the youngest of three children. Coleman graduated from Crooked Oak High School in 1970. After graduation, Coleman attended college at Rose State College as well as Southwestern Bible College.
Before serving in the House of Representatives, Coleman worked as an administrative assistant for an oil company. She also worked on several campaigns, including the campaign of Helen Cole.<ref name="oral hist">{{cite journal|last1=Finchum|first1=Tanya|title=Oral history interview with Carolyn Coleman|journal=Women of the Oklahoma Legislature|date=September 19, 2007|url=https://dc.library.okstate.edu/cdm/ref/collection/legislature/id/160|accessdate=25 March 2015}}</ref>
==House of Representatives (1990–2004)== In 1990, Coleman campaigned as a Republican candidate in a strongly Democratic district. Coleman won the vote and was sworn into office. In total, Coleman campaigned seven times as she served 14 years in the House. Some of the issues that Coleman focused on while in the legislature include reforming state education,<ref name=oksenate>{{cite web|title=Wilcoxson, Coleman Say Foes of HB 1710 |url=http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2000/PR000329.html |website=oksenate.gov |publisher=Oklahoma State Senate:Communications Division |accessdate=25 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002829/http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2000/PR000329.html |archivedate=4 March 2016 }}</ref> cutting business taxes, protecting air and water quality, and creating harsher punishment for violent and repeat offenders of crime.<ref name="news ok 1" /> Coleman is especially known for her work on elementary literacy and reading legislation along with Oklahoma senator Kathleen Wilcoxson.<ref name="oral hist" />
===Committees=== *Education *Common education subcommittee *Health and mental health *Tourism and Recreation *Veteran Affairs <ref name="newsok 2">{{cite web|title=Three Legislators Seek Re-election; Two Announce Candidacy|url=http://newsok.com/three-legislators-seek-re-election-two-announce-candidacy/article/2399243|website=newsok.com|publisher=NewsOK|accessdate=25 March 2015}}</ref>
===Life after the House=== After serving in the House for 14 years, Coleman has been taking classes at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology for fun as well as working part-time. *'''Service''': Coleman has volunteered her time with several organizations and institutions. Coleman has served on the American Legislative Exchange Council, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Board of Directors for Community Literacy. She also served on the board of directors of the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Oklahoma City.<ref name="oral hist" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite web|title=Lawmakers Writing Bill to Prevent School Districts from 'Passing the Trash' |url=http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2002/pr20021014.html |website=oksenate.gov |publisher=Oklahoma State Senate: Communications Division |accessdate=25 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002318/http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2002/pr20021014.html |archivedate=4 March 2016 }} *{{cite web|last1=Parrott|first1=Susan|last2=Perez Snyder|first2=Carmel|title=House OKs legislation on nursing|url=http://newsok.com/house-oks-legislation-on-nursing/article/1902630|website=newsok.com|publisher=NewsOK|accessdate=25 March 2015}} *[https://library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/digital/wotol/ Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project -- OSU Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223042458/https://library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/digital/wotol/ |date=2017-12-23 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Carolyn}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Oklahoma City Category:Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature Category:Women state legislators in Oklahoma Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Category:20th-century American women politicians