George Christian, the last of four press secretaries for President Lyndon B. Johnson, has been named one of the 1990-91 College of Communication Outstanding Alumni.

Christian earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism at The University of Texas at Austin. He attended the university both before and after service in the Marine Corps during World War II.

Christian worked for seven years for the International News Service as a sports reporter and later a political correspondent. He eventually became press secretary and executive assistant to Texas Governor Price Daniel. In 1962 Daniel lost the Democratic primary to John B. Connally who was so impressed with Christian that he hired him when he became governor. Christian worked for Connally until getting a call from the White House.

Christian came to the White House first to work for Walt Rostow, the president's special assistant for national security affairs, and then for Bill Moyers, the president’s press secretary. He eventually became President Johnson's spokesman replacing Moyers who left to become publisher of Newsday magazine.

With his Texas roots Christian seemed ideally suited for the White House job; the Johnson and Christian families knew each other for decades.