Greater New Orleans, Inc. Statement on the Passing of Dr. Norman C. Francis

On behalf of Greater New Orleans, Inc., we join the entire New Orleans community as well as the nation in mourning the passing of Dr. Norman C. Francis – but in also celebrating his extraordinary life and tremendous impact on the nation, the community, and the tens of thousands of students who were educated at Xavier University of Louisiana under his leadership. Dr. Francis was not only an educator and a statesman, but also a visionary whose moral compass and faith dictated his life as a servant leader.

The hallmark achievements of Dr. Francis’ life are too numerous to list, but include his integration of Loyola University College of Law; becoming the youngest and first lay president of Xavier University; courageously hosting and standing up for the Freedom Riders during the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s in segregated Louisiana; founding and serving as the Chairman of the board of Liberty Bank, which is now the largest African American owned bank in the country; serving for 47 years as President of Xavier University (the longest tenure of any university president in the country) building Xavier into one of the best STEM and pre-med programs in the country; and, standing with moral conviction and strength as the head of the Louisiana Recovery Authority after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to fight for the recovery of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana – while also rebuilding Xavier’s campus.

But what truly stands out about Dr. Francis are not the numerous professional achievements, but his grace, humanity, and empathy for everyone. While the number of accolades that Dr. Francis received during his lifetime are vast – including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States – it is important for us to reflect on the fact that at his core Dr. Francis was a person of tremendous faith who was always deeply interested in the person standing in front of him, regardless of that person’s title, position, or educational background. To truly know Dr. Francis would be to witness Xavier students and alumni flocking to him whenever they saw him on campus or out in the community – he was a truly beloved university president who not only remembered each student’s name, but also remembered if the student’s parents or grandparents, or siblings attended Xavier. Dr. Francis believed in the inherent potential of every single individual, and he played a significant role in helping so many of us believe in ourselves. As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Dr. Francis always made everyone feel better about themselves and what they could accomplish.

As we move forward at GNO, Inc., we will continue to aspire to carry Dr. Francis’ ethos – increasing opportunity for everyone; defending justice for everyone; strengthening our community and democracy and working to make them better; and, understanding that consistency and courage will win over time, when the community stands up and stands together.

On behalf of GNO, Inc., we extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Francis’ family, the Xavier community and to the many lives touched by his wisdom, intelligence, faith, empathy and grace.

Sincerely,

Kim Boyle
Board Chair, Greater New Orleans, Inc. and Partner, Phelps Dunbar

Michael Hecht
President and CEO, Greater New Orleans, Inc.