Gigi
Francis
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7
Norman Christopher Francis served as the president of Xavier
University in Louisiana for 47 years. Francis had changed the ways others see
people today.
Francis had struggled to become where he is today
in many ways. Francis grew up poor and underprivileged. His parents had never
even finished high school. Francis has been through a lot to get to where he is
now and had to fight for what he wanted in life.
“When I was a kid, my parents couldn’t even afford a car, so my
father had to ride his bike everyday to work,” Francis said.
Francis was born and raised in Lafayette,
Louisiana. There was a lot of segregation going on at the time he was growing
up. It was hard for him to go to school, but he always went and he hardly ever
missed a day. Even when he was sick he always managed to go to school. Francis
went to St. Paul High School and graduated in 1948. After he had graduated from
St. Paul High he was offered a work scholarship to Xavier University in New
Orleans.
"I went to Xavier and received a B.S. degree
in 1952," Francis said.
Francis was the first African-American to go to
Loyola University and Loyola University Law School.
"I was the first African-American to enroll at
Loyola and I earned a J.D. in 1955 at Loyola Law School," Francis said.
Francis had been part of the United States
Army.
"I went to the military in 1955 after I went
to Xavier, I went to law school and Loyola in 1952, then three years in
law school and got a law degree and then I was drafted in the army in 1955,
roughly around September," Francis said.
Francis had spent two years in the army and
fought in Germany. He eventually was discharged after two years.
"Xavier called and
asked if I wanted to spend a few years filling a position of somebody who was
retiring and I had already spent the last three years before law school at
Xavier,” Francis said. “I got the call roughly 1957 two months before I was
leaving the army. I had accepted the position of being in charge of the
freshmen and did that for about two years."
Francis had been deciding weather to
enroll at Loyola or not. He would be the only African-American there and he was
already being treated unfairly.
“One day I went to a little restaurant to
buy a hamburger, and I walk up the lady to order, and she told me, "I'm
sorry I'm not allowed to serve you here. We are only allowed to serve you find
you are white.” So I had to walk around until I found a place that would serve
to African-American." Francis said.
Francis overcame all
of this once he decided to enroll at Loyola and became the school's first black
graduate in 1955.
“I had to make
sure I knew what I was getting myself into, to be sure I was capable of going
to a school where I would be the only African American.” Francis said.
He had been asked to be the vice president which
was the number two position at Xavier University. After being vice president at
Xavier in roughly 1968 he was offered president at Xavier University.
"I turned it down, but then I
reconsidered because everyone who had graduated from Xavier thought this was an
opportunity from a black person to take over the University, and so I accepted,"
Francis said.
“My dad was always working, he would be in his office all day
and all night. But he still always tried to see us and spend time with us,”
Patrick Francis said.
So he became president in 1968 for the same
school he attended. When Norman Francis became the president, he was 37 years old.
And when he retired in 2015 he was 84 years old, he worked at Xavier for 47
years.
“Before I was offered the job at Xavier, it had never crossed my
mind to work at Xavier,” Francis said.
Before he had become president, he had
never even thought about being president, or even working at Xavier. He never
expected that call he got right before leaving the military.
"Reconsidering becoming president of
Xavier was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I couldn't
image my life if I had never reconsidered calling them back and accepting the
position of president I don't know I would have done with my life," Norman
Francis said.
Norman Francis has
always made an impact on his children.
"Norman Francis, my dad, is one of the
most inspiring person I have met, he always is doing what ever he can to help
other people. When I was growing up all I wanted to be was like my dad, not
about getting a good job as much, but his personality," Patrick Francis
said.
Norman Francis had found a way to show all
of his children that he will always help someone whenever they need it.
"My dad loves to make people happy. He
worked at Xavier for 47 years and I don't think he will ever not be involved
with the University, he still helps out with Xavier as Xavier helped him,"
Christina Francis said.
Norman Francis had dedicated his life to
Xavier University of New Orleans, and if he had the chance, he wouldn’t change
a thing
“My life had been
full of some ups and downs, but looking back now I wouldn’t have done anything
different,” Francis said.
