CHRISTIAN, George (Eastland) 1927-2002

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born January 1, 1927, in Austin, TX; died of lung cancer November 27, 2002, in Austin, TX. Journalist, press secretary, and public relations consultant. Christian is best remembered for being President Lyndon B. Johnson's fourth and last press secretary during the turbulent years of the Vietnam War. He was a graduate of the University of Texas, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1949 after serving in the Marine Corps. His first job was as sports editor for the Temple, Texas, Daily Telegram. From 1949 to 1956 he was a political correspondent for the International News Service, after which time he entered politics by serving as Senator Price Daniel's assistant in Washington, D.C. During the late 1950s and early 1960s he was also an assistant to two Texas governors. Many thought that his background made Christian an ideal choice for the job of press secretary to President Johnson, who was also a Texan. As press secretary, Christian had the difficult job of keeping both the president and the press satisfied with public communications during a period that encompassed the controversial Vietnam War, racially motivated rioting throughout the United States, and the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. When Johnson decided not to run for a second term, Christian founded the public relations firm George Christian & Associates in his hometown in 1969. He was also the author of The President Steps Down: A Personal Memoir of the Transfer of Power (1970).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

books

Who's Who in America, 50th edition, Marquis (New Providence, NJ), 1995.

periodicals

New York Times, November 29, 2002, p. A31.

Times (London, England), December 11, 2002, p. 33.