George Christian and Harry Middleton

Former Press Secretary to LBJ; Director of the LBJ Library
Tuesday, November 28, 2000 · Alkek Teaching Theater · 7:30 p.m.

George Christian returned to Austin in January 1969 after serving as press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson. Before joining the White House staff in 1966, he was chief of staff for Gov. Price Daniel and press secretary for Gov. John B. Connally.

Mr. Christian began his career as a sports editor and wire service reporter after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a native of Aus­tin and a Marine combat veteran of World War II.

Mr. Christian was vice chairman of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, former chairman of the Texas Histori­cal Commission and a member of the boards of the Headliners Foundation, McDonald Observatory, Scott and White Memorial Hospital and the Texas State Museum. 

Harry J. Middleton also served in the Johnson White House as staff assistant to the president 1967-69 and remained a spe­cial assistant to Johnson during the prepa­ration of his memoirs, The Vantage Point.

Before joining the White House staff, Mr. Middleton worked as an Associated Press reporter in New York, a magazine news editor and freelance writer for publications such as Life, Reader's Di­gest, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan. He is a native of lowa, a graduate of Loui­siana State University and a veteran of World War II and Korea.

Mr. Middleton has directed the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, which is administered by the National Ar­chives and Records Administration, since its beginning in 1970. 

—Adapted from the original event program distributed at George Christian
and Harry Middleton's joint LBJ Distinguished Lecture

“President Johnson was a larger-than-life character, much maligned in his own time. But with the passage of time, and perhaps in the light of the men who have held the office since, we have come to a renewed appreciation of the Johnson presidency.”