Norman Francis

Norman Christopher Francis
Norman Francis receives Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2006, from George W. Bush (standing behind)
Born	(1931-03-20) March 20, 1931 (age 85) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Citizenship	USA
Alma mater	Xavier University of Louisiana Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University Law School
Occupation	Lawyer
Employer	Xavier University
Known for	Second longest-tenured current leader of an American college or university.
Board member of	UNCF, ETS
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom

Dr. Norman Christopher Francis (born March 20, 1931 in Lafayette, Louisiana), is a former president of Xavier University of Louisiana. He served the position from 1968-2015 as the first lay (non-clergy) president of Xavier. He previously also served as 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. He has also been the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Norman Francis started out in life as poor and underprivileged, but, as he said later, he did not know that. Francis was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, 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.

His brother was Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Francis of Newark, who retired from active ministry in 1995, and died in 1997.

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 president of his class all four years. In his senior year he was chosen the president of the student body.. Francis earned a B.S. degree from the university in 1952. He then became the first African-American to enroll at Loyola University New Orleans and then Loyola University Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1955.