LA SCR10

Expresses the Louisiana Legislature's condolences to the family of Dr. Norman Christopher Francis, who passed away on February 18, 2026, at age 94

Dr. Francis served as president of Xavier University of Louisiana for 47 years (1968-2015), becoming the first lay, male, and African-American president of the university and the second African-American to lead a Catholic university in the U.S.

Dr. Francis was the first African-American to enroll at Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, earning his Juris Doctor in 1955, and later worked on civil rights cases that reached the U.S. Supreme Court

Dr. Francis received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006 from President George W. Bush, advised eight U.S. presidents on education and civil rights, and served as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Co-founded Liberty Bank and Trust Company in 1972 to serve underserved Black communities, and was an early investor in bringing the New Orleans Saints to the city