LBJ Museum Fall Lecture Features Elizabeth Christian

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Museum of San Marcos will host its Fall Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 5, with guest speaker Elizabeth Christian, president of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and daughter of George Christian, President Johnson’s last press secretary.

“Leadership, Humanity, Persistence: Hallmarks of the 36th President” is the subject of Christian’s talk. Her father was press secretary for President Johnson from 1966 through 1969, a witness to his achievements in civil rights and social justice legislation — and the tumultuous times of the Vietnam War and racial tensions in America.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception for Ms. Christian will begin at 6 p.m., followed by her lecture at 7 p.m. at the museum, 131 N. Guadalupe Street, San Marcos.

Elizabeth Christian, a fourth-generation Austinite and journalism graduate of The University of Texas, is president and CEO of Elizabeth Christian Public Relations. Christian has a 40-year career in public relations, journalism and political affairs.

In addition to running an award-winning PR firm, which serves such clients as Google and Google Fiber, St. David’s HealthCare, United Way for Greater Austin, Texas Mutual Insurance, SouthWest Water Co., and others, she is active in the community.

She has led several major pro bono projects of significant impact, including the 2007 Tribute to Lady Bird Johnson upon the passing of the former First Lady. She also spearheaded a massive school bonds campaign in 1996 and ran the campaign to allow Austin to convert an old municipal auditorium into the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

She is president of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and past president of the Headliners Club. She is on the board of trustees of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is a member of the Austin Area Research Organization.

She has long been active with the Austin Chamber of Commerce; at various times over a long period of board membership, she has served as vice chair for communications, transportation and education. She has made numerous trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby on Capitol Hill on issues of importance to Austin’s economic development, and she has participated in the Chamber’s inter-city trips nationwide for years.

Christian lived in California for 13 years, from 1980-1993. She worked at the Los Angeles Times for the better part of that time, holding positions as assistant Business news editor and as an editor and writer for the Real Estate section. She also owned the Mendocino Grapevine, an award-winning weekly newspaper in Northern California. She worked as both senior vice president and media director at Carl Terzian Associates, a large corporate public relations firm in Los Angeles, and served as the executive director of the Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce.

She was recognized as Austin Human Resource Management Association’s “2014 Woman of Distinction.” In 2004, the Texas Public Relations Association named her “Public Relations Practitioner of the Year.” In 2001, she received the prestigious Profiles in Power Award given by the Austin Business Journal.

Located in downtown San Marcos, the LBJ Museum displays unique exhibits on President Johnson’s formative years as a college student at Texas State University and his teaching experiences in South Texas that greatly influenced his hallmark legislation on civil rights, education, and anti-poverty programs.

The museum also honors Lady Bird Johnson, naming its endowment fund in her honor, for her contributions to the President’s career and to the nation.

The LBJ Museum is free and open to the public Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Facilities for community meetings are available for rental.

For more information, contact the LBJ Museum at 512-353-3300 or email director@lbjmuseum.com.