Phyllis George “brought great honor to both local and national Zeta chapters when she was first crowned Miss Dallas, then Miss Texas and finally Miss America,” according to the Zeta Tau Alpha page in the 1971 Yucca, the yearbook of North Texas State University.
Miss America 1971, Phyllis George, initiated into the Gamma Phi chapter at NTSU (now University of North Texas). However, a scholarship to Texas Christian University came with the Miss Texas crown. She transferred her membership to the Gamma Psi chapter at TCU.
In 1974, she said “yes” and became a co-host of The NFL Today, a pregame show on CBS. She was a pioneer as a woman in television sports reporting. She was also an entrepreneur, author, and former First Lady of Kentucky. Her greatest achievement was as a mother to daughter Pamela and son Lincoln according to a Themis interview.
At the 2012 ZTA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, George was named an Outstanding Alumna. Due to illness, she was unable to be at the convention to accept the award. She died on May 14, 2020 at the age of 70 from complications of a blood disorder.
