David T. Tyson

Elected provincial superior of the Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 2003, Fr. Tyson oversees the work of more than 300 priests and brothers in the Americas, Asia and Africa for the Indiana Province, the largest Holy Cross province in the world. Before becoming provincial superior, Fr. Tyson served as the eighteenth president of the University of Portland, where he was also a professor of business administration. During his presidency from 1990 to 2003, the University of Portland experienced unprecedented growth and its “A Defining Moment” capital campaign raised more than $116 million. In 2000, the Templeton Foundation named Fr. Tyson as one of the 50 outstanding university presidents in America. Under his leadership, the University established five endowed professorial chairs, tripled its endowment and built six new halls on campus. The University also experienced a steady growth in its applicant pool to over 3,000 applicants yearly and welcomed the most academically talented freshman class in its history for eight consecutive years. During Fr. Tyson’s tenure, the University was recognized by U.S. News & World Report both as one of the top five Western regional universities in the United States as well as the best Catholic university in the West for excellent education at a reasonable cost. In addition, the University earned its first NCAA Division I national championship in women’s soccer. Prior to his election as president of the University of Portland, he served at the University of Notre Dame in a variety of positions, including vice president of student affairs. A native of Gary, Ind., Fr. Tyson joined the Congregation of Holy Cross, Indiana Province in 1967 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1975. He received his B.A. in sociology (1970) and his master’s degree in theology (1974) from the University of Notre Dame. He holds a doctoral degree in education from Indiana University in Bloomington (1980). A trustee of the University of Notre Dame, Fr. Tyson has served on the boards of the NCAA Executive Council, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Saint Edward’s University, St. Mary’s College and the Board of Visitors of Air University which oversees all educational programs for the U.S. Air Force.