American university awards Notre Dame\u27s Vice Chancellor its highest honour

Dr Peter Tannock, Vice Chancellor of The University of Notre Dame Australia, is the recipient of prestigious American university, the University of Portland’s, highest honour - the Christus Magister Medal ( Christ the Teacher ). He was presented the award at the University’s commencement ceremony held on Sunday 4 May 2008. The Christus Magister Medal is awarded by the University annually to men and women of international distinction in the fields of art, science, education, and government. Dr Tannock was recognised by Portland as being widely considered the architect of modern Catholic higher education in Australia. He was described as being instrumental in creating Notre Dame, which began with his dream of starting the first Catholic teachers’ college in Western Australia. Dr Tannock was also acknowledged for his days playing football for the East Perth Football Club and being chairman of the National Catholic Education Commission, chairman of the Australian Schools Commission, director of Catholic education in the state of Western Australia, and Professor and Dean of Education at The University of Western Australia. In his speech, University President, Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C said: “With the deepest admiration for a colleague who devoted his life to Catholic education in his state and nation; with astonished respect for a man who dreamed a college and then made it into a great university; with gratitude for a colleague who helps bring sixty University of Portland students to study in Australia every year; and with more than a little awe for a man who played professional football in the roughest wildest league there is, the University of Portland proudly bestows its highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal, on Dr Peter Tannock, of the legendary East Perth Royals Football Club, and of Fremantle, Australia. Media contact: Michelle Ebbs 08 9433 0610, 0408 959 138 Link to media release for University of Portland: http://www.up.edu/shownews.aspx?id=356