George Eastland Christian, who died on November 27, 2002, after a yearlong battle with lung cancer, would have preferred that his obituary focus on his many years of public service and the numerous volunteer projects he successfully spearheaded that benefit the people of Texas to this day.
But what his family knows is that the public side of George Christian is only a small part of what made him one of the best and kindest of men.
This was a man who would schedule important business meetings around children’s baseball and grandchildren’s kickball and volleyball games. This was a man who took phone calls from his children no matter who was in his office (and the “who” in his office was frequently in “Who’s Who”), and who, even while ill, made frequent trips to California “so my grandbabies and I will know each other.” George Christian put his large family and his many friends first, and he was beloved for that.
Not only did he care deeply for family and friends, he gave freely of his time and counsel to all who asked.
George Christian had a twinkle in his eyes and a laugh that could ignite everyone in the room to hilarity. He had enough friends to fill a metro-sized phonebook. And he gave the kind of advice and could formulate complex strategies that presidents and corporations were happy to pay for—but he offered it for free as often as not.
Christian loved politics, and he loved politicians. He was never jaded or cynical about the people with whom he worked, and he never tired of the intricacies of making public policy. And, to the eternal benefit of his wife, children and grandchildren, he loved his family more than anything.
Visitation will be Sunday, December 1, 2002, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 North Lamar, Austin. Services will be held on Monday, December 2, 2002, at 2 p.m. at the University United Methodist Church, 2409 Guadalupe, Austin, with the Rev. A. Phillips Nazro of All Saints’ Episcopal Church and the Rev. Seth DeLeery of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, Round Rock, officiating. They will be assisted by Monsignor Fred Bomar of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. Christian was a faithful parishioner of All Saints’ for more than 40 years.
He will be laid to rest in the Texas State Cemetery, 7th and Navasota, immediately after the church service. His grave is near both his parents’ and his paternal great-grandparents’, General Adam Rankin Johnson and Josephine Eastland Johnson.
Christian leaves his wife of 43 years, attorney Jo Anne Christian, six children and eleven grandchildren. They are Elizabeth Christian, her husband Bruce Todd, son Jeremy Todd and daughter Alex Rose, of Austin; Susan Goulding, her husband Mike and children Erin and Matthew, of Seal Beach, Calif.; George Scott Christian, his wife Betsy and daughters Leah, Sarah and Kathryn, of Austin; Robert Bruce Christian of Boston; John Christian, his wife Adina and children Amelia Whittemore and James Whittemore, of Austin; and Brian Johnson Christian, his wife Erin Barrett and children Adam and Regan, of Round Rock.
He also leaves two sisters, Judy and her husband Ed Jelks of Normal, Ill., and Jo and her husband Walter Babich of Valley Forge, Pa., as well as daughter-in-law Kimberly Christian, son-in-law George Rose and his wife Denise, and longtime friend Jean Houston.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Brown, who succumbed to cancer in 1957; his parents, Judge George E. Christian Sr. and Ruby Scott Christian; and his faithful friend for the first 40 years of his life, Agnes Brown. He was 14 when his father died; his mother never remarried and supported her children with long tenure as a clerk for the State Comptroller.
Pallbearers will be his sons and sons-in law, along with nephew Chris Jelks, longtime friends Gregg Geil and Lawrence Temple, and godson Will Armstrong.
Ushers will be Bill Allaway, Grant Billingsley, Bob Duke, Bill King, John Mobley, Lawrence Olsen, Tony Proffitt, Julian Read and Ralph Wayne.
Eulogies will be delivered by Larry Temple and the Rev. Armistead Powell.
George Christian came into politics naturally. Born into a family devoted to public service, Christian, in his 75 fruitful years, became a U.S. Marine, a respected journalist, a distinguished graduate of the University of Texas, chief of staff to one governor and press secretary to another, and press secretary to the President of the United States.
Throughout his career, his hallmark was personal and professional integrity. CBS newsman Dan Rather described him as a man “so honest you could shoot dice with him over the telephone.” In 2001, both houses of the Texas Legislature adopted a resolution commending him as a “highly respected professional whose work has consistently demonstrated his commitment to integrity and leadership.”
A fifth-generation Texan, George Eastland Christian was born January 1, 1927, in Austin. He was that year’s New Year’s Baby of Travis County—a good luck omen that boded well for him from minute one.
He graduated from Austin High School in 1944 and enlisted at 17 in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as a rifleman in the Second Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force-Pacific, and was among the first troops to occupy atomic bomb-ravaged Nagasaki, Japan.
After World War II, he attended the University of Texas on the G.I. Bill of Rights and became sports editor of the Daily Texan. His close association with U.T. continued thereafter.
His professional career began with a seven-year stint as capitol correspondent for International News Service under bureau chief Bill Carter. He was recruited by Jake Pickle and Joe Greenhill in 1956 to work on the staff of U.S. Senator Price Daniel. After Daniel became governor, Christian was his press secretary and then chief of staff. He later joined Governor John Connally as press secretary, a post he served at the time Connally was wounded during the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
In 1966, Christian joined the White House staff, working with National Security Advisor Walt Rostow and then succeeding Bill Moyers as President Johnson’s press secretary. He served three turbulent years at the White House during the height of the Cold War, the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, the Vietnam conflict, and some of the nation’s most severe racial crises.
After serving President Lyndon Baines Johnson from 1966 to 1969, Christian began a successful career as a public affairs and political consultant. He also volunteered a large part of his time to fundraising for the University of Texas, historical preservation projects, and many other causes. He remained active in all respects until his death.
His friends have endowed a $500,000 professorship in his name at the College of Communication, and the U.T. administration endowed a similar professorship in British Studies bearing Jo Anne’s name.
He was chosen Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Communication, where he earned his journalism degree; member of the hall of Honor of the College of Natural Sciences; and in 1989 a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas. Recently he served a term as president of the Ex-Students Association.
Christian was a life member of the McDonald Observatory Board and the College of Communication Advisory Council and former chairman of both. He also served on the board of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. In all of these capacities, he was an effective fundraiser for U.T. programs, especially the Hobby-Eberle telescope at McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains.
Christian was appointed to the Texas Historical Commission by Governor Dolph Briscoe and reappointed by Governors Mark White and Ann Richards, serving 18 years, including a term as chairman. Governor Rick Perry gave him the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. He was also presented the Ruth Lester Award for “lifelong commitment to preserving Texas’ unique heritage,” and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Heritage Society of Austin.
The Paramount Theater, Governor’s Mansion, State Capitol, and recovery of LaSalle’s ship, the Belle, were among the beneficiaries of his volunteer fundraising efforts. Governor Bill Clements appointed him to the first board of Friends of the Governor’s Mansion and Governors George W. Bush and Rick Perry named him to the committee overseeing the historic State Cemetery.
A prolific writer since his teens, Christian wrote hundreds of speeches for public officials, authored a book, “The President Steps Down,” commissioned by Macmillan in 1969, and edited or contributed to a number of others, including “The World of Texas Politics” and “LBJ: The White House Years.” He was guest columnist for the Dallas Morning News for many years and also wrote frequently for the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. He was a frequent guest on television, news and history programs, both nationally and in Texas.
Christian was vice chairman of both the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation and the Bob Bullock State Museum Foundation, was co-founder of the Headliners Foundation, and served on the board of Scott & White Memorial Hospital. He received the Harvey Penick Award for Excellence in the Game of Life from Caritas of Austin, the Stewardship of Texas Values Award from the Texas Lyceum, and the Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. In 1998, he was named Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference.
The family wishes to thank Seton Medical Center, Dr. Richard Helmer and the staff of the Southwest Regional Cancer Clinic for their compassionate care.
Contributions in George Christian’s honor may be made to the Jo Anne Christian Fund to build the Long Center for the Performing Arts, c/o Arts Center Stage, P.O. Box 301449, Austin, TX 78703. Those who wish to send the family a personal tribute about George Christian can do so at www.legacy.com.
Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar, Austin, Texas 78705 (512) 452-8811
