Rev. David Theodore Tyson, C.S.C. — a longtime Trustee and alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, president emeritus of Holy Cross College and former president of the University of Portland — died Saturday (May 30) after a short illness. He was 78.
Father Tyson, who served as provincial superior for what would become the United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, also held a number of key leadership positions at Notre Dame, including serving as executive assistant to then University President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., as vice president for student affairs and as a faculty member in the Mendoza College of Business.
He was a member of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees for more than three decades, serving as a Trustee and Fellow from 1993 to 2012 and a Trustee Emeritus from 2012 to 2025, before being named a Hesburgh Trustee in 2025.
“We grieve the passing of a beloved brother in Holy Cross and give thanks to God for his many contributions as a good and faithful priest and gifted leader,” said “Father Dave devoted his life and ministry to advancing Catholic education and to serving the Congregation of Holy Cross. His example as a wise and generous leader, pastor, friend and mentor is an inspiration to all who knew him.”
Born in Gary, Indiana, Father Tyson received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Notre Dame in 1970 and a master’s in theology from the University in 1974. He was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1975. After his ordination, Father Tyson worked in Notre Dame’s Office of Admissions for two years before pursuing a doctoral degree in education at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Father Tyson returned to Notre Dame in 1980 as director of Sophomore Year of 91Ƶ in the College of Business Administration (now the Mendoza College of Business), before taking on the role of executive assistant to Father Hesburgh in 1982. In 1984, he was named vice president for student affairs, a position he held for six years.
In 1990, Father Tyson was elected president of the University of Portland in Oregon. During his 13-year tenure as president, he guided the university through a major expansion of its campus, a tripling of its endowment and an elevation of its already commendable reputation. He was recognized with an honorary doctorate of public service from the University of Portland in 2002.
After concluding his tenure as president, Father Tyson served as the provincial superior of the Indiana/U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers from 2003 to 2012. There, he played a crucial role in the historic union of the former Indiana and Eastern provinces, creating the new United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
At Notre Dame’s 2012 Commencement Ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his contributions to the University, the Congregation of Holy Cross and Catholic higher education.
That same year, Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution honoring Father Tyson as he stepped down from his role as provincial superior. In the resolution, the Board lauded his “administrative acumen, his deep faith, convivial personality and commitment to Notre Dame’s Catholic character.”
Father Tyson was also awarded the Christus Magister Medal in 2012 — the University of Portland’s highest honor — bestowed on those who demonstrate “a vigorous spiritual life and an accomplished professional career that has significantly advanced knowledge, been of inimitable service to his or her fellow men and women and been an inspiration and consolation to the world.”
After a sabbatical year, Father Tyson served as a faculty member and director of Catholic Outreach at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business from 2013 to 2015 and as the Luke McGuinness Director of Nonprofit Professional Development at Mendoza from 2015 to 2017.
He was elected president of Holy Cross College in August 2017 and served in that role until 2022. Marco J. Clark, who succeeded Father Tyson as president, said that his service to Holy Cross College came at a “pivotal moment in its history” and brought “stability, vision and renewed confidence” to the college.
Among many other honors, Father Tyson was selected as one of America’s 50 outstanding college presidents by the Templeton Foundation in 1995. He was also awarded the United States Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award — one of the highest honors given to a private citizen — in 2002 for his guidance and support for military education in the context of a university.
He served on the Holy Cross College Board of Trustees and the United States Air Force’s Board of Visitors of Air University.
Father Tyson was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Mary (Buettner) Tyson, and by his sisters, Elaine (Mel) Berlin and Sharon Van Kley. He is survived by his beloved nieces and nephews.
A wake service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, at Moreau Seminary and Scholasticate on Notre Dame’s campus. A funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and will be .