Norman Francis
Encyclopedia
Norman C. Francis is the president of Xavier University of Louisiana
. He has been Xavier's president since 1968, making him (as of December 2006) the longest-tenured current leader of an American university. He is also the chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority
, the state agency in charge of planning the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana
after Hurricane Katrina
and Hurricane Rita
.
and then Loyola University Law School
, where he received his J.D. in 1955.
Francis served in the U.S. Army
from 1956-57, and then returned to Xavier as Dean of Men. After holding several other positions at Xavier, he was appointed President in 1968. At Xavier, Francis presided over a major expansion of campus facilities and enrollment growth of 35 per cent.
. In 1955 became the school’s first Black graduate. Francis served in the Army for two years, then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help integrate federal agencies. During the turbulent times preceding the Civil Rights Movement he returned to Xavier University to begin his climb up the administrative ladder. In 1961, while serving as dean of men, Francis played a key role in Xavier's decision to house the Freedom Riders – an integrated group testing application of the Supreme Court decision banning discrimination in interstate rail and bus travel – in a campus dormitory after they were flown to New Orleans by Federal Marshals after having been attacked in three Alabama cities (Anniston, Birmingham and Montgomery).
About that same time, Francis acted as counsel for the Xavier student body president – Rudolph Lombard – who had been arrested for attempting to integrate the lunch counter at McCrory’s on Canal Street in New Orleans. It was those experiences that led Francis to choose the path of education over that of a law career. Ironically, he accepted the presidency at Xavier on the very day that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.
, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
and the Southern Education Foundation, and president of the American Association of Higher Education and the United Negro College Fund
. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. He has received 35 honorary degrees.
In December 2006, Francis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
.
, the son of poor parents, neither of whom had finished high school. His father was a barber who rode to work each day on a bicycle because the family did not own a car. He earned pocket money by shining shoes on Lafayette's main street. His parents
felt that Norman, his three sisters and his brother needed an education. Norman and his brother and sisters attended Catholic schools and his parents saw to it that the children rarely missed school. "I had to have a fever, and really be ill before I dared to try to miss school", he has said. His parents also made certain that the children attended Mass on Sunday, and were punctual in their religious duties.
After he graduated from St. Paul High School in 1948, he turned his interest toward the military, but because of the interest of one of the teaching sisters at St. Paul High School, Norman found himself with a work scholarship to Xavier University in New Orleans. The "work" part of this scholarship landed him in the university library, where he repaired damaged books. By his senior year he had worked himself up to night supervisor of library services. Francis was an honor student and was elected president of his class all four years. In his senior year he was chosen the president of the student body.
After his graduation from Xavier with a bachelor’s degree, he applied for entrance to Loyola University’s School of Law and was the first black student to be accepted by the school.
He feels that one reason he was accepted was because he had been active in the National Federation of Catholic College students. In that organization he became acquainted with several of the Jesuit fathers on the Loyola University faculty. Francis graduated from Loyola with honors with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1955 and he began to practice law. He soon decided that the law was not for him. "I could have made a great deal of money," he said later, "but I could help only a few people. The future belongs to those who are educated, so I turned to education."
Because of his scholastic record, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the religious order which conducts Xavier University, offered him the post of dean of men, which he accepted. He then began a steady rise in administrative positions at the university. From dean of men in 1957, he advanced to director of student personnel services in 1963, assistant to the president for student affairs in 1964, assistant to the president in charge of development in 1965 and executive vice president in 1967.
In 1968 the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament promoted him to the post of president of the university — the first lay, male and black head of the university. During the following 25 years, Francis guided Xavier University’s growth in both size and dimension. The university has more than tripled its enrollment, broadened its curriculum and expanded its campus.
fraternity.
He belongs to the National Commission on Excellence in Education. He has also served as president of the United Negro College Fund
and chairman of the board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Educational Testing System.
He is chairman of the board of the Southern Education Foundation, a member of the National Advisory Research Council of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, and the National Assessment of Higher Education Program.
He has been a member of the Vatican's Pontifical Commission of Justice and Peace, a member of the Advisory Board of the Society of St. Joseph, a member of the executive committee of the College and University Department of the National Catholic Educational Association, member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America, member of the Board of Regents of Loyola University, and member of the board of directors of the National Catholic Council for Interracial Justice.
Francis was named among the 100 most effective college presidents in a poll published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. He has been awarded honorary degrees by 35 colleges and universities and he was invested as a Knight of Malta in 1991.
Francis shared the spotlight with his brother, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Francis of Newark, who retired from active ministry in 1995, and died in 1997.
On November 21, 2008 in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Francis celebrated his 40th year as President of Xavier University at the 40th Anniversary Gala, themed "Legacy for a Legend". The event was hosted by Bill Cosby
, and featured a performance by Grammy winner Gladys Knight
.
Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana , located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education...
. He has been Xavier's president since 1968, making him (as of December 2006) the longest-tenured current leader of an American university. He is also the chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority
Louisiana Recovery Authority
The Louisiana Recovery Authority is the governmental body created in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita by Governor Kathleen Blanco to plan for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana...
, the state agency in charge of planning the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
.
Academia
Francis earned a B.S. degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1952. He then became the first African-American to enroll at Loyola University New OrleansLoyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
and then Loyola University Law School
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans. Loyola's law school opened in 1914 and is now located on the Broadway Campus of the University in the historic Audubon Park District of the city. The College...
, where he received his J.D. in 1955.
Francis served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1956-57, and then returned to Xavier as Dean of Men. After holding several other positions at Xavier, he was appointed President in 1968. At Xavier, Francis presided over a major expansion of campus facilities and enrollment growth of 35 per cent.
Civil Rights Era
In 1952, at 21 years of age, Norman Francis was one of two African-American students selected to integrate Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. In 1955 became the school’s first Black graduate. Francis served in the Army for two years, then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help integrate federal agencies. During the turbulent times preceding the Civil Rights Movement he returned to Xavier University to begin his climb up the administrative ladder. In 1961, while serving as dean of men, Francis played a key role in Xavier's decision to house the Freedom Riders – an integrated group testing application of the Supreme Court decision banning discrimination in interstate rail and bus travel – in a campus dormitory after they were flown to New Orleans by Federal Marshals after having been attacked in three Alabama cities (Anniston, Birmingham and Montgomery).
About that same time, Francis acted as counsel for the Xavier student body president – Rudolph Lombard – who had been arrested for attempting to integrate the lunch counter at McCrory’s on Canal Street in New Orleans. It was those experiences that led Francis to choose the path of education over that of a law career. Ironically, he accepted the presidency at Xavier on the very day that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.
Honors and awards
Francis has been chairman of the board of Educational Testing ServiceEducational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center, whose primary activities of research and writing have resulted in published reports on every level...
and the Southern Education Foundation, and president of the American Association of Higher Education and the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He has received 35 honorary degrees.
In December 2006, Francis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
.
Background
Norman Francis started out in life as poor and under-privileged, but — as he said later — he did not know that he was poor and under-privileged. Francis was born in Lafayette, LouisianaLafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, the son of poor parents, neither of whom had finished high school. His father was a barber who rode to work each day on a bicycle because the family did not own a car. He earned pocket money by shining shoes on Lafayette's main street. His parents
felt that Norman, his three sisters and his brother needed an education. Norman and his brother and sisters attended Catholic schools and his parents saw to it that the children rarely missed school. "I had to have a fever, and really be ill before I dared to try to miss school", he has said. His parents also made certain that the children attended Mass on Sunday, and were punctual in their religious duties.
After he graduated from St. Paul High School in 1948, he turned his interest toward the military, but because of the interest of one of the teaching sisters at St. Paul High School, Norman found himself with a work scholarship to Xavier University in New Orleans. The "work" part of this scholarship landed him in the university library, where he repaired damaged books. By his senior year he had worked himself up to night supervisor of library services. Francis was an honor student and was elected president of his class all four years. In his senior year he was chosen the president of the student body.
After his graduation from Xavier with a bachelor’s degree, he applied for entrance to Loyola University’s School of Law and was the first black student to be accepted by the school.
He feels that one reason he was accepted was because he had been active in the National Federation of Catholic College students. In that organization he became acquainted with several of the Jesuit fathers on the Loyola University faculty. Francis graduated from Loyola with honors with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1955 and he began to practice law. He soon decided that the law was not for him. "I could have made a great deal of money," he said later, "but I could help only a few people. The future belongs to those who are educated, so I turned to education."
Because of his scholastic record, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the religious order which conducts Xavier University, offered him the post of dean of men, which he accepted. He then began a steady rise in administrative positions at the university. From dean of men in 1957, he advanced to director of student personnel services in 1963, assistant to the president for student affairs in 1964, assistant to the president in charge of development in 1965 and executive vice president in 1967.
In 1968 the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament promoted him to the post of president of the university — the first lay, male and black head of the university. During the following 25 years, Francis guided Xavier University’s growth in both size and dimension. The university has more than tripled its enrollment, broadened its curriculum and expanded its campus.
Affiliations
Francis is a member of Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity.
He belongs to the National Commission on Excellence in Education. He has also served as president of the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
and chairman of the board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Educational Testing System.
He is chairman of the board of the Southern Education Foundation, a member of the National Advisory Research Council of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, and the National Assessment of Higher Education Program.
He has been a member of the Vatican's Pontifical Commission of Justice and Peace, a member of the Advisory Board of the Society of St. Joseph, a member of the executive committee of the College and University Department of the National Catholic Educational Association, member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of America, member of the Board of Regents of Loyola University, and member of the board of directors of the National Catholic Council for Interracial Justice.
Francis was named among the 100 most effective college presidents in a poll published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. He has been awarded honorary degrees by 35 colleges and universities and he was invested as a Knight of Malta in 1991.
Francis shared the spotlight with his brother, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Francis of Newark, who retired from active ministry in 1995, and died in 1997.
On November 21, 2008 in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Francis celebrated his 40th year as President of Xavier University at the 40th Anniversary Gala, themed "Legacy for a Legend". The event was hosted by Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
, and featured a performance by Grammy winner Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
.
External links
- John Pope, "Xavier leader gets Medal of Freedom", New Orleans Times-Picayune, December 8, 2006
- Louisiana Recovery Authority biography
- Xavier University president's page
- Partnership for Public Service board profile
- Norman Francis's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project