George Edward Coleman was born in Grass Valley, California, on December 8, 1867. He graduated from the University of California in 1891 with a B.S. in chemistry. He worked in metallurgy and horticulture until 1909, when he began the study of bacteriology and allied subjects. During 1909 and 1910 he was a volunteer worker at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and later, for ten months, he studied and worked in the Clinical laboratory of the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Florence, Italy.

Upon his return to the United States, Coleman established himself in his own laboratory in Santa Barbara. In 1925 he joined the staff of the Hooper Foundation as an associate in medicine and worked toward organizing and financing the studies of that institution, particularly in the area of otology and the sociological aspects of deafness. This research interest probably reflected Coleman's membership and activities in such organizations as the Committee of the American Otological Association, where he acquired great influence and authority. The John C. and Edward Coleman Memorial Fund for Otological Research was established at the University of California by his family at Mr. Coleman's suggestion.

Coleman also published a number of scientific papers, newspaper articles and pamphlets in the fields of bacteriology and histology, with the aim of popularizing science and medicine for laymen.

Coleman died on April 9, 1947.