I created a form and published to the public folder. If I CREATE a new
Contact on that public folder, the form shows correctly.

However, when the contacts I imported into the public folder do not show the
form I created. It appears as though it is the default contact form.

Outlook doesn't support importing to a custom form. You'd have to write custom code or use a third-party application. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/customimport.htm.

Also, how do I change the text of the tabs from the (P.2) to something more
descriptive?

Form | Rename Page
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx