Career
Christian was born in Austin, Texas. After graduating from Austin High School in 1944, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and saw duty in the Pacific theater and in Japan during the occupation.
Upon his discharge from the military, Christian returned to Austin and studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin under the G.I. Bill of Rights. He subsequently spent seven years covering Texas state government for the International News Service.
He left journalism for politics, serving as press secretary first for Governors Price Daniel and then for John B. Connally, Jr., before moving to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Replacing Bill Moyers, Christian held the post of White House press secretary during the turbulent period from 1966 to 1969.
At the close of President Johnson's term of office, Christian returned to Austin and established a public relations, consulting, and lobbying firm, which he continued to operate until his death.
In 1978 his son John, then thirteen years of age, shot his English teacher, Wilbur Grayson, to death with his father's .22. For this offense of murder, John served no time and was allowed to return to the Austin public education system, eventually graduating and going on to complete law school at the University of Texas.
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 as an Outstanding Alumnus of the UT College of Communication. He also received the Texas Award for Historical Preservation from the Texas Historical Commission and the Harvey Penick Award from Caritas of Austin. Also in 1982, a centennial professorship in journalism was established in his name at UT-Austin.
He is interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, beside his father and mother and near his great-grandfather, Brigadier General Adam Rankin Johnson of the Confederate States Army. His father, George Eastland Christian, Sr. (1888-1941), was a district attorney and a member of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. His mother was the former Ruby Scott (1900-1995).
Christian was married to the former Jo Anne Martin (born 1936), his surviving widow.
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