Office of the President
UP Remembers President Emeritus Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C.
On the last Friday of June, as generations of Pilots returned to campus for Alumni Weekend, the University of Portland community paused to celebrate the life of President Emeritus Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C., who passed away on May 30 at Holy Cross House in Notre Dame, Indiana, after a brief illness.
At a campus Mass of Remembrance at the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, Fr. Tyson, who served as the University’s president from 1990-2003, was memorialized by Congregation of Holy Cross religious and lay companions and friends as a transformational leader, a gifted relationship-builder, and a devoted priest and friend who inspired others to lives of purpose, service, and justice.
“Here at UP, we remember Father David as among the most transformational figures in our 125-year history,” President Robert D. Kelly remarked at the Mass of Remembrance. “He followed in the footsteps of those who came before, but he was not afraid to be bold. He dreamed of elevating the University and taking it to newer and greater heights. And he succeeded.”
Born in Gary, Indiana in 1948, Fr. Tyson earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Notre Dame and his doctorate in education at Indiana University. Ordained in 1975, he served in roles of increasing responsibility at Notre Dame before arriving in Portland in 1990 to serve as the University’s 18th president.
Under his guidance, the University set new standards of academic excellence and expanded its campus footprint on the heels of its first-ever comprehensive campaign. He presided over the Pilot Athletics’ first national championship—UP Women’s Soccer in 2002—and established a standard for national recognition that has gained momentum over three decades.
Rev. Edwin Obermiller, C.S.C., who arrived at UP in 1995 and worked alongside Fr. Tyson for 17 years, gave the homily for Friday’s Mass, celebrating his friend’s life and service.
“Faith was at the foundation of everything David did,” Fr. Obermiller said. “David was a hopeful man, and the greatest source of that hope was that David knew who he was—and whose he was—
a beloved son of God, a priest of Jesus Christ, and a religious of Holy Cross.”
Recalling Fr. Tyson’s gift for words, Fr. Obermiller said, “David loved conversation because he loved people.”
In his final days, however, as rapidly declining health made it difficult to speak, Fr. Obermiller saw beyond the irony that a “man whose voice had encouraged thousands ended up entering a silence he did not choose.” He closed his tribute to Fr. Tyson with the following reflection:
In the end, David was invited to make the same journey every disciple must eventually make. The journey from speaking about faith to simply trusting in faith. The words that had served him so well throughout his life gave way to silence. And in that silence, he offered one final witness, and he reminded us that our faith doesn’t rest in our accomplishments, our titles, our talents, or even our words. It rests in Christ. The eloquent preacher became the faithful disciple. The builder of institutions became pilgrim on the journey home. The man who had spent a lifetime helping others find their way entrusted himself to the One who says in today’s Gospel, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).’
“We give thanks for David Tyson,” Fr. Obermiller added. “We give thanks to the leader who transformed this University. We thank God for the priest who inspired generations. We thank God for the Holy Cross religious who served faithfully wherever he was sent. And we thank God for our friend.”
“May the wise one who led so many to justice now shine like the stars forever.”
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