Coleman, Maggi

Singer, performer, and activist Margaret Phelan appeared in several popular venues in New York City, New York and Paris, France. Phelan traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada and headlined at the Desert Inn Hotel in 1951 and the Thunderbird Hotel in 1953. During her time at the Thunderbird, Phelan met and married Nellis Air Force Base Commander Clark Coleman. After her marriage, she changed her name to Maggi Coleman. In the 1960s and 1970s Coleman devoted her energies to civic causes in Las Vegas. In 1972 she became the first woman to serve on the Las Vegas City Planning Commission. She served in this capacity into the 1980s. While on the commission, Coleman focused on the concerns of women and senior citizens. In 1988 Coleman was recognized for her civic activism when Coleman Park was named in her honor in North Las Vegas.