Norman C. Francis, civil rights champion and recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom, dies at 94

Norman C. Francis, a towering figure in civil rights and education who helped lead New Orleans’ recovery after Hurricane Katrina, died Wednesday at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that transformed both his community and the nation.

Francis was best known for his unprecedented 47-year tenure as president of Xavier University in New Orleans, the only predominantly Black Catholic university in the United States. Under his leadership, Xavier evolved from a modest institution into a powerhouse for Black education, particularly in the sciences.

“The nation is better and richer for his having lived among us,” said Reynold Verret, Xavier University’s current president, in a statement confirming Francis’ death.

Born to a barber in Lafayette, Louisiana, Francis’ own educational journey reflected his lifelong commitment to breaking barriers. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Xavier in 1952, he became the first Black student at Loyola University’s law school, integrating the institution and earning his law degree in 1955.

Following two years in the Army, Francis joined the U.S. Attorney General’s office to help integrate federal agencies. Despite his credentials and position, he still faced the harsh realities of segregation in New Orleans, unable to enter many hotels, restaurants, or department stores through the front door because of his race.

“Some people say to me, ‘My God! How did you take that?'” Francis recalled in a 2008 interview with The Associated Press. “Well, you took that because you had to believe that one day, the words that your parents said to you ‘You’re good enough to be president of the United States’ yes, we held onto that.”

In 1957, Francis returned to his alma mater as Dean of Men, beginning a career at Xavier that would span nearly five decades. During his presidency, which began in 1968, enrollment more than doubled, and the university’s endowment grew substantially. The campus expanded physically, while also expanding its academic reputation, particularly for preparing Black students for careers in medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, and pharmacy.

Perhaps Francis’ most visible public role came in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. Parts of Xavier’s campus were submerged under eight feet of water, yet Francis vowed the university would rebound—a promise he fulfilled as the institution reopened just months after the disaster.

Beyond campus reconstruction, then-Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Francis to head the Louisiana Recovery Authority, tasking him with overseeing the multi-billion-dollar rebuilding effort across the ravaged region.

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who was serving as Louisiana’s lieutenant governor when Katrina struck, praised Francis for standing “in the breach” during that critical period. “The most defining part of his character is that he treats every human being with dignity and respect,” Landrieu wrote on social media.

Francis’ contributions earned him numerous accolades from civil rights organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union, which recognized him as one of the nation’s top college presidents. In 2006, then-President George W. Bush awarded Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Louisiana U.S. Representative Troy Carter memorialized Francis on social media, writing: “Dr. Francis was more than an administrator. He was an institution builder, a civil rights champion, and a man of quiet generosity. He believed education was the pathway to justice. He believed lifting one student could lift an entire family.”

The impact of Francis’ work extended well beyond Xavier’s campus, influencing educational policy and civil rights advancement throughout the South and across the country.

Francis was preceded in death by his wife, Blanche, who died in 2015. He is survived by their six children and multiple grandchildren, as well as the countless students, educators, and community members whose lives he touched throughout his remarkable career.