ICHS Honors Three Distinguished Alumni with Award

What does a senior U.S. Appeals Court Judge, a two-star Navy Admiral and a leader in the aviation industry have in common?  If you guessed that they are all Immaculate Conception High School graduates – you are correct.  On Tuesday, February 2, three ICHS alumni were presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award. This year’s recipients were Judge William Bauer ’44, Rear Admiral John Messerschmidt ’75 and Charlie Priester ’56.

Judge William Bauer ‘44

Judge Bauer currently has senior status on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which is one step removed from the U.S. Supreme Court. This court hears appeals from federal district courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. He maintains an active caseload on the court. Prior to achieving senior status in 1994, Judge Bauer was the chief judge of that court from 1986-1993. He was nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by President Gerald Ford in 1974 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Prior to serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Judge Bauer was appointed to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in 1970. This was his first federal appointment, and it was followed by a nomination by President Richard Nixon to sit as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1971.

In addition to his federal appointments, Judge Bauer has also been elected State’s Attorney of DuPage County in 1959 and Judge of the Circuit Court for the 18th Judicial Circuit in 1964. He began his legal career as an assistant state’s attorney in DuPage County and served as the First Assistant State’s Attorney from 1956-58. Judge Bauer spent 2 years in the U.S. Army upon graduating from ICHS. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst College in 1949 and his juris doctor from the DePaul University College of Law in 1952.

Judge Bauer’s accomplishments in the legal profession reflect excellence, commitment, and service. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees for Elmhurst College, DePaul University, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, and Elmhurst Hospital. He has also been on the Law Advisory Boards of Loyola University and University College. Judge Bauer has received Honorary Doctor of Law degrees from DePaul University, The John Marshall Law School, Elmhurst College, and Roosevelt University, and a n Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from DePaul. He has received many awards, including the 1989 Catholic Lawyer of the Year Award from the Catholic Lawyers Guild, the Award of Distinguished Service to Law and Society from the Illinois Bar Foundation in 1992, the President’s Medal of Excellence from University College in 1999, the Professionalism Award from the American Inns of Court in 2002, the Rotary One Distinguished Community Service Award in 2003, and the Cardinal Bernardin Award from the Chicago Legal Clinic in 2006. Judge Bauer currently resides in Elmhurst, and he continues to be an active member of the community.

Rear Admiral John Messerschmidt ‘75

Rear Admiral Messerschmidt is a 2-star Admiral in the Navy. He has been the Commander of the Navy Reserve Forces Command since November 2008. He is responsible for the over 65,000 Navy Reservists around the world. Just recently, he has coordinated the Navy Reserve efforts to aide those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti. Prior to assuming command, Rear Admiral Messerschmidt also served as vice commander, Submarine Force, and deputy chief of Navy Reserve. Additionally, Messerschmidt has commanded 5 Reserve Units.

Rear Admiral Messerschmidt has shown great excellence and leadership in his service. While in command, his units earned 2 Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations and 5 Captain Leo V. Bilger awards for outstanding mission effectiveness. Furthermore, his personal awards include 2 Legion of Merits, 4 Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Service Commendation Medal, 5 Navy Commendation Medals, and 2 Navy Achievement Medals. Messerschmidt also received 2 Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals for significant service in his community and is actively involved in Boy Scouts of America as an assistant scoutmaster.

Upon graduating from ICHS, Messerschmidt attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated with Honors in 1979. He served in various positions within the Navy until 1986, when he transferred to the Navy Reserve. Rear Admiral Messerschmidt earned a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from George Mason University. In his civilian career, he has worked for the MITRE Corporation, a non-profit corporation chartered to work in the public interest, since 1986. Messerschmidt resides in Virginia with his wife Lizann and their 3 children.

Charlie Priester ‘56

Mr. Charlie Priester is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Priester Aviation, LLC. The firm manages and charters 35 corporate jets nationally, and provides a broad range of aviation-related administrative and management services. Mr. Priester has been a leader in the aviation industry for nearly 60 years. He led the development of what is now Chicago Executive Airport, the third busiest airport in Illinois. That development included the construction of hangars, runways, and infrastructure, as well as the establishment of businesses to serve both private and corporate users of the airport. Twenty-five years ago, Mr. Priester engineered the sale of the private family-owned airport, then known as Palwaukee Municipal, to the towns of Wheeling and Prospect Heights. A recent study put the airport’s annual economic impact at $330 million, including $124 million paid for more than 2,400 jobs.

Mr. Priester is not only heavily involved in the aviation industry, but he is also heavily involved with many philanthropic endeavors. He has greatly supported ICHS through various fundraising activities, including donating trips with a chartered jet for the high school’s Knight of Jewels. His trip donation annually generates the highest bid of any auction item. In addition to supporting IHCS, Mr. Priester runs the Prospect Height’s Chapter of Dollars for Scholars. He has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships for local students through this venture.

Mr. Priester also demonstrates his service to others through the many boards he serves on. He serves as the Chairman of the Board on the ICHS Board of Trustees, and is a member of the St. Norbert College Board of Directors. He has served on numerous aviation-related boards. Most recently, Mr. Priester was appointed Chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the safety and security of air charter travel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Priester also holds an Honorary Doctorate from St. Norbert College. He currently lives in Lake in the Hills with his wife Erika.

In 2005, ICHS established the Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually during Catholic Schools Week. It is intended to recognize an Immaculate Conception High School graduate whose achievements reflect excellence, commitment, and service, and gives witness to the heart and spirit of Catholic education. The award serves as a standard to which current ICHS students can aspire.