The spokesperson said George had been hospitalized for health complications related to a longstanding blood disorder.

As a media personality, businessperson, actor and television host, George’s professional ventures spanned several industries. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in sports journalism, where she became one of the first female broadcasters to hold distinguished roles on national networks. George began her history-making career in sportscasting as co-host of popular CBS series The NFL Today, alongside Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and, later, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. She was initially recruited to CBS in 1974 and was hired to anchor its Morning News program 11 years later, following her departure from The NFL Today.

Following the news of George’s passing, prominent sports journalists and politicians have taken to social media with commemorative messages honoring her life and trailblazing career.

“Phyllis George was a great person and a true pioneer for women in television. The NFL could not have made a better ‘pick’ when they choose Phyllis to be the first woman to represent them,” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning, one day after reports of her death first surfaced online. “Also, a wonderful First Lady of Kentucky as the wife of Gov. John Y. Brown….”

Brown served one term as Kentucky’s governor during his marriage to George, which lasted two decades. In his own tributary message, current Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear praised George’s influence as First Lady, acknowledging her work to promote artists and renovate the state’s historic governor’s mansion.

Earlier, after The Hollywood Reporter originally confirmed George’s passing on Saturday afternoon, various faces of sports media flocked to Twitter with an outpouring of posts celebrating her achievements. Women broadcasters, including commentator and sports columnist Christine Brennan, credited George’s groundbreaking career as a precedent for their own.

“Phyllis George paved the way for thousands of women to enter the sports media,” Brennan tweeted Saturday evening, adding, “She was a kind and gracious role model. An email from Phyllis was a treasured gift. So too were the conversations at CNN with @pamelabrowncnn about her wonderful mother.”

Sportscasters from nearly every major network voiced similar acclaim. Michele Tafoya, a National Football League and Olympics reporter for NBC, called George “an early inspiration.”

In another post shared to Twitter on Saturday, CBS Sports mourned the loss of “an icon” and spoke to the lasting mark George has left on the sports broadcasting industry.

“The CBS Sports family is deeply saddened by the passing of Phyllis George, an icon in the sports broadcasting industry who contributed greatly to the rich history and tradition of CBS Sports,” CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in the network’s statement. “Phyllis was not only a key member of a show that remains the gold standard of NFL pregame shows, The NFL Today with Brent, IRV and ‘The Greek’, but also a pioneer for all women in broadcasting.”

In a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday, George’s children, CNN White House correspondent Pamela Ashley Brown and Lincoln Tyler George Brown, called attention to their mother’s personal merits in addition to professional ones.

“For many, Mom was known by her incredible accomplishments as the pioneering female sportscaster, 50th Miss America and first lady. But this was all before we were born and never how we viewed Mom. To us, she was the most incredible mother we could ever ask for, and it is all of the defining qualities the public never saw, especially against the winds of adversity, that symbolize how extraordinary she is more than anything else,” they told the outlet. “The beauty so many recognized on the outside was a mere fraction of her internal beauty, only to be outdone by an unwavering spirit that allowed her to persevere against all the odds.”