PR icon to share stories of trailblazing past

From Staff Reports

Public relations icon and esteemed member of the late Lady Bird Johnson’s brain trust, Martha Tiller (pictured) will share stories of her fascinating life at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Allen Public Library. She will be interviewed by noted historian, author and TV producer Tom Keenan, program director for the Allen Public library.  

A longtime witness and participant to history, Tiller was a staff assistant on an Emmy Award winning program for CBS Television in New York City and later assistant to the producer of the popular TV show “PASSWORD” with Goodson-Todman Productions. 

Returning to Texas, Tiller worked for Texas governor John Connally and served as communication director for the Texas Fine Arts Commission in Austin from 1967 to 1969. Later, she was the press and social secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, assisting in her efforts to beautify Austin’s Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake) and protect wildflowers along Texas Highways. Prior to this Tiller was executive assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

In 1976, Tiller moved to Dallas where she started Martha Tiller Public Relations and assembled a client list including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney, Westin Hotels,  Sheraton Hotels, the Wyndham Anatole Hotel, The Fairmont Hotel, The Dallas Arboretum and Savor Dallas among many others.   

Tiller not only appeared in two episodes of the popular television series Dallas, she also convinced the show’s producers to feature Dallas elites as extras. In 1993, she escorted Anthony Kennedy Shriver to the Sixth-Floor Museum in Dallas, where he was the first member of the Kennedy family to visit the iconic institution. 

The program will also be streamed live on ACTV. Find viewing options at Watch ACTV or view online at ACTV.org or YouTube.com/AllenCityTV. The Allen Public Library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr., Allen, TX  75013. For more information, call 214-509-4911.