Norman C. Francis, longtime Xavier University president known for his civil rights and education advocacy, died Wednesday, Feb. 18.
Francis became the first Black and non-ordained president of Xavier in 1968 and served in this position until his retirement in 2015. Prior to his leadership, all previous Xavier presidents were white nuns.
Under his leadership, enrollment at the university more than tripled, and the university excelled in preparing students for health care careers. Today, Xavier sends more Black graduates to medical school than almost any other college nationwide.
“Dr. Norman C. Francis … leaves a legacy inseparable from the University,” the school said in a statement on Wednesday. “Every Xavier graduate who carries forward the mission of service, leadership, and academic excellence does so in his shadow and in his honor. His life’s work endures, in this institution, city, and in the countless lives changed because he believed deeply in the transformative power of education.”
Francis was the first Black graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and served as an attorney litigating civil rights cases in Louisiana before Brown v. Board of Education.
In 1972, he co-founded Liberty Bank and Trust Company. He was also instrumental in the development of the Caesars Superdome and the NFL’s investment in the New Orleans Saints.
Francis received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush in 2006 following his role in rebuilding New Orleans and Xavier after Hurricane Katrina and for his decades-long civil rights work.
“His legacy of leading with integrity, grace and scholarly rigor will inspire generations to come. I am grateful to have known him, and I share my deepest condolences with his family, friends and colleagues,” Tulane University President Mike Fitts said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.
Francis is survived by six children — Michael, Tim, David, Kathleen, Patrick and Christina — along with 11 grandchildren.
“While many knew him as the former president of Xavier University, as a civil rights leader, and as a respected voice for justice and equality on both the local and national stage, we knew him simply as Daddy — a man whose greatest joy came from family gatherings, quiet moments of prayer, and encouraging those around him to live with purpose and kindness,” Francis’ family said in a public statement.
On March 2 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Francis’s body will lie in state in Xanvier’s Convocation Center. A program will begin at 5 p.m., led by Rev. Curtis Guillory.
Visitation will be held at St. Louis Cathedral on March 3 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.