The Old Aloysian Hall of Fame is now in its third year. You can read about our 8 incredible inductees below. Nominations are now being invited from the OA Community for 2023, and the deadline for applications is Wednesday 16th November 2022.

To nominate an OA, please fill in the NOMINATION FORM (please do not exceed 1000 words) and return to us by the deadline (details on the form). 

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit.  The nominations will be presented to the Nominations Committee (comprised of Board Members and College staff) for final approval. 

Submitting Your Nomination

The Award recognises and celebrates the achievements of Old Aloysians who have made a significant impact by their services to the community, achievements in their chosen field, such as: the arts, culture and creative life, health, business, sciences, sport, sustainability, academic, public or religious life.  

Inductees will be expected to take part in publicity, including photographs, and will be invited to attend a Celebrating Success Assembly for their presentation when they will have the chance to address the current Senior School pupils.  These assemblies will take place in 2023.

Tell the Committee why you are nominating your nominee in terms of explaining your nominee’s role and what they have achieved. Illustrate to the Committee, using a couple of examples, the impact of your nominee’s work, who has benefitted from it and in what way. Keep your nomination simple and concise.

OA HALL OF FAME 2020

 

Recognised for his services to Broadcasting and Communications

Paul Coia (Class of 1973)

Paul Coia has been involved in broadcasting since his student TV days.  Winner of Golden Rose of Montreaux and Webby awards, and a former Scottish Radio Personality of the Year, Paul’s radio work has seen him broadcast for Radio Two, LBC, Smooth Radio, BBC Scotland and Glasgow’s Radio Clyde. He currently broadcasts for the BBC in London.

Paul was the first voice on Channel Four, opening the new station, and he also opened two other TV stations – Disney’s ABC channel and TV Travel Shop.  His chat show, Meet Paul Coia, ran for four series in Scotland before he joined the BBC and presented the network shows Pebble Mill, Catchword, and Tricks of The Trade amongst others. He has now broadcast on all five terrestrial channels as well as satellite TV.

Paul coaches executives all over the world in how to present themselves to colleagues, shareholders and journalists through public speaking and in Media interviews. His clients include many household names, and he worked recently with a peer on his maiden speech in the House of Lords.

 

Recognised for his services to Music

Fred Morrison (1980)

Previously a member of both Clan Alba and Capercaillie, Fred Morrison has made his mark on the world of traditional Scottish music, having been lauded internationally and developing his own brand of pipes, the Fred Morrison Pipes.

Here, as one of our new inductees into the OA Hall of Fame, Fred talks about learning to play the pipes, and how the current situation is affecting the piping world.  “I learned from my dad who came from the island of South Uist, where piping has been a very strong part of the culture for generations. Many members of my family played – uncles and other relatives - and it was just like a way of life learning the pipes. South Uist was known for having a very musical, expressive style of playing, which I still use today. 

Fred began competing while still at school. Having won many of the major awards both in Scotland and abroad, including the coveted Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness, he went on to pursue a highly successful performing career. Although his first-love instrument remains the great Highland bagpipes, over the years his mastery has expanded to encompass Scottish smallpipes, Reelpipes, uilleann pipes and the low whistle. Fred is also a well-known composer, his tunes played widely in the traditional and world music scenes. He was one of the first Scottish artists to forge dynamic links with his Celtic cousins in Brittany and North-west Spain.

Voted Scotland’s ‘Best Instrumentalist’ in 2004 at the Traditional Music Awards, Fred also played with supergroups Clan Alba and Capercaillie and appeared in and arranged music for Hollywood film Rob Roy. Fred’s most recent album, the critically acclaimed Outlands, explores the inherent connection between traditional Scottish and bluegrass music. 

In August 2019, at the Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany, he won the MacCrimmon trophy for a world record-breaking tenth time.  Fred maintains a busy touring schedule, with performances and masterclasses throughout the world.

Recognised for her services to the Environment and Climate Change Dr Lorna Gold (Class of 1990) Dr Lorna Gold is a social scientist and Climate Activist who has become known as an outspoken critic of inaction on climate change and an advocate for just solutions.  She has written a book entitled “Climate Generation – Awakening to Our Children’s Future” which is about working to change environmental policy and what the consequences are if effective changes are not made immediately. She began her professional career as an academic researcher, completing her PhD at Glasgow University in 2000 which focused on the area of “Sharing Economy” within the Department of Geography.  Thereafter, she took up 2 Post-Doctoral positions at the University of York in the Department of Politics, and following this, she published her PhD as a book and several papers.   From York, she moved to Ireland and left academic teaching and research to pursue a career in Advocacy, Policy Research and Campaigning in Ireland.Dr Gold worked with Trócaire (the Irish Catholic Agency for International Development) for almost two decades, leading their work in the areas of Research, Policy and Advocacy until her departure in April 2020. Dr Gold was instrumental in the successful climate justice campaign led by Trócaire in 2016-2018, which led to the Irish Government becoming the first in the world to divest its’ sovereign wealth fund from fossil fuels.

She has also played an important role advising the Irish Government on climate change, as part of the Ministerial Advisory Group on the National Climate Dialogue since 2018. She chairs the Irish Bishops’ Working Group on Laudato Si and is a member of the recently established Vatican Commission on the Covid Crisis.  She currently lectures part-time in Applied Social Studies at Maynooth University and is Vice-Chair of the Global Catholic Climate Movement Board.  Her most recent project with UK based group FaithInvest is developing an online curriculum with the UNDP for Catholic business leaders on Laudato Sí and Entrepreneurship. Dr Gold is the mother of two young children and she was recently named in the top 20 climate influencers in Ireland.

 

Recognised for his services to Cardiology and the Community

Professor Frank Dunn (Class of 1965) CBE, DL, DSc, FRCP (Glasg), FACC

Professor Dunn is a Past President of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, retired Consultant Cardiologist at Stobhill General Hospital and Honorary Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Glasgow.  

Professor Dunn attended the College from 1954-1964.  He was a Governor of the College from May 2001 until June 2013, was Vice Chairman from 2007-2008, Acting Chairman from 2008-2009 and then Chairman from 2009-2013.           

He graduated in Medicine from the University of Glasgow and his Postgraduate training was at The Royal Infirmary of Glasgow and in the USA. He was a Staff Member at the Ochsner Medical Institutions in New Orleans and was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Louisiana State University from 1980-83. He then returned to Glasgow as a Consultant Cardiologist at Stobhill Hospital.  He was Clinical Director at Stobhill NHS Trust (1994-2000) and North Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust (2000-2006).  

Professor Dunn has 150 publications and 15 book chapters principally in the areas of hypertension and coronary artery disease. He has received research grants from a number of national organisations.  Professor Dunn has served on the Council for the British Cardiac Society and the Scottish Cardiac Society. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and holds Honorary Fellowships from American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physician of Ireland and the Singapore Academy of Medicine. He is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Dunbartonshire and Freeman of the Barony Burgh of Kirkintilloch.  

He was Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow from 2007-2010 and was President from 2012-2015. He received a CBE in 2014 for services to Cardiology and the Community.  

Outwith Medicine, he loves the game of golf and holds memberships at Lenzie and Royal Troon. He writes a regular column for the Kirkintilloch Herald and is a music request collector for the Hospital Broadcasting Service. He is married to Helen and has two sons and two grandsons. Family has always been a key part of his life.

OA HALL OF FAME 2018 - 2019

 

Recognised for his services to Broadcasting and Public Life

James Stuart, Lord Gordon of Strathblane (Class of 1953)  (b.1936, d.2020)

James Gordon left his position as Political Editor of STV in 1973 to set up Radio Clyde which commenced broadcasting on 31st December that year. He remained as Managing Director until 1996 when he became Chairman of what had grown into Scottish Radio Holdings until 2005. He was also a non-executive director of several listed companies, and a member of BP’s Scottish Advisory Board 1990-2003.

He Chaired the Scottish Tourist Board/Visit Scotland from 1998-2001 and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 1983-89 and was a Member of Court at University of Glasgow 1983-97, a Board Member of the Scottish Development Agency 1981-90 and a Trustee of the National Galleries 1998-2001.  He was awarded the CBE in 1984, became a Life Peer in 1997, and holds Honorary degrees from Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian Universities, the Lord Provosts Award for public service in 1994 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce in 2015.

He is married with a daughter and two sons, and 4 grandchildren. 

Recognised for his services to the Improvement of Health and Wellbeing in Scotland   

Professor Sir Harry Burns (Class of 1969)

Sir Harry Burns graduated in medicine in 1974 from Glasgow University and in 1984, was appointed Consultant Surgeon, University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow.  In 1990, following completion of an MSc Public Health, he was appointed Medical Director of the Royal Infirmary.  Many of his patients lived in the east end of Glasgow and it was this insight to the complex inter-relationships between social and economic status, illness and recovery that began his lifelong focus: to reduce health inequalities.

In 1994, he was appointed Director of Public Health for Greater Glasgow Health Board and in 2005 he became Chief Medical Officer for Scotland.  He was Knighted in 2011 and in 2014, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, presented him with a lifetime achievement award for public service from the Scottish Government.

In April 2014 he became Professor of Global Public Health at Strathclyde University.  In addition to research publication and supervision of doctoral students, Sir Harry leads on a number of major, multi-agency projects and is Chair of the University’s Centre for Health Policy.  He is a regular invited keynote speaker to local, national and international events and to academic programmes. 

Among many appointments, he is a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisors; a member of Diabetes UK Board; Chair of the Wheatley Foundation; a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Impact Investment Advisory Committee and a member of the Health Foundation’s Sciana Programme for international health leaders.

In November 2017, the Scottish Government published Sir Harry’s report on an independent review of targets and indicators in Scotland's NHS.

Recognised for his services to Business and Philanthropy

Maurice Taylor CBE, DBA, KJSJ, FBIM, FIH, KOHS (Class of 1958)

Maurice V Taylor is Founder and Chairman of The Chardon Group. Renowned and respected both nationally and internationally, Maurice is recognised for dedication to entrepreneurship and innovation, and distinguished by strategic vision.

Maurice owns a number of Scotland’s most successful hotels and restaurants, including Holiday Inn Glasgow Theatreland and Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Airport. Back in 1975, he also launched Glasgow’s original French Mediterranean Brasserie, the award winning La Bonne Auberge, and today diners can still enjoy the delights of its tantalizing, ‘in-vogue’ menus at Maurice’s Glasgow Holiday Inn Theatreland.

In addition he created, developed and ran the prestigious Parklands Country Club in the Newton Mearns area of Glasgow – another first in its class at the time.  He also founded and operated Chardon Management the UK’s largest independent hotel management company which was subsequently sold after 15 years to Interstate Hotels and Resorts the largest US-based global management company.

Throughout his years in the industry Maurice has been the proud recipient of a plethora of awards including Lifetime Achievement and Entrepreneur of the Year from a number of august bodies. He is currently visiting Professor at the Scottish Hotel School and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Strathclyde where they also elevated him to their “Strathclyde Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs".

Maurice’s most recent achievements are Lifetime Achievement Award from Inspiring City Awards, The Lifetime Excellence Award from CIS Excellence Awards and his appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to business and charity.

Recognised for her services to Scots Law and for being the first woman to be elected as Dean of The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow

Nicola Irvine (Class of 1993) 

Nicola attended St Aloysius’ College from 1988-1993. She went on to study law at the University of Strathclyde then commenced her legal career at Hughes Dowdall solicitors. She subsequently joined the firm of Russells Gibson McCaffrey in 2002 and is now the managing partner of that firm.

Aside from her work as a solicitor, Nicola was appointed as a legal member of the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland in 2017.

Nicola has always taken a keen interest in supporting the legal profession and in 2017, she was the first woman to be appointed as Dean of The Royal Faculty of Procurators in its 349 year history.