George Christian (journalist)
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George Christian | |
---|---|
Waly Rostow, 1968 | |
12th White House Press Secretary | |
In office February 1, 1967 – January 20, 1969 | |
President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | Bill Moyers |
Succeeded by | Ron Ziegler |
Personal details | |
Born | George Eastland Christian Jr. January 1, 1927 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Died | November 27, 2002 (aged 75) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Brown (divorced) Jo Anne Martin |
Children | 6 |
Education | University of Texas, Austin (BA) |
George Eastland Christian Jr. (January 1, 1927 – November 27, 2002)[1] was an American journalist and White House staffer, who served as the twelfth White House Press Secretary from 1966 to 1969.
Career
Christian was born in
Upon his discharge from the military, Christian returned to Austin and studied journalism at the
He left journalism for politics, serving as press secretary first for
White House Press Secretary tenure
Christian relocated to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Christian was the White House Press Secretary from 1966 to 1969.
At the close of President Johnson's term of office, Christian returned to Austin.
After leaving government service, he revealed that no one in the White House believed that the 1967 USS Liberty incident was a case of mistaken identity: "There was considerable skepticism in the White House that the attack was accidental. An accident of this magnitude was too much to swallow."[3][4]
Later life
After serving as White House Press Secretary, Christian began a career in the private sector in Austin, working in public relations, consulting, and at a lobbying firm. In 1986, Christian founded the Texas Civil Justice League, an organization dedicated to judicial reform, which he operated until his death.[5]
Christian served as vice chairman of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, member and chairman of the Texas Historical Commission, member of the Texas State Cemetery Committee, and member of the boards of the Headliners Foundation, McDonald Observatory, Texas A&M College of Medicine, and Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas.
His awards include selection as a Distinguished Alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin and an Outstanding
Personal life and death
Christian was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Brown and secondly to Jo Anne Martin (1936–2015), a lawyer and philanthropist. He had six children.
In 1978, his son John, then thirteen years of age, shot his English teacher, Wilbur Grayson, to death in front of his classmates with his father's
Christian died on November 27, 2002, at the age of 75. He is interred at the
References
- ^ Stout, David (November 29, 2002). "George Christian, 75, Aide to President, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ Inscription on grave marker of Mr. and Mrs. George Christian Sr., Texas State Cemetery in Austin
- ^ https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0604/060437.html
- ^ https://www.usslibertyveterans.org/files/GeorgeChristianLtr01051978.pdf
- ^ "Texas Civil Justice League - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ Draper, Robert (18 March 2020). "The School Shooting That Austin Forgot". Texas Monthly. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Lost His Father When He was Only One – Wilbur "Rod" Grayson". National Teachers Hall of Fame. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ a b Corcoran, Michael (December 25, 2019). "Austin's Secret: Killing in the Classroom 1978". Retrieved April 1, 2020.
External links
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Texas Legislature H.R. No. 557 George Eastland Christian, Jr Resolution
- George Eastland Christian Texas State Cemetery Official Website