Norman Francis, an American academic who served as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, died on February 18, 2026, at age 94.
He led the university from 1968 to 2015, becoming its first Black and first lay president and the second African American to serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States. Francis also served as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the state agency responsible for planning Louisiana’s recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006 and the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame in 2019.
Norman Christopher Francis (March 20, 1931 – February 18, 2026) was an American academic who served as president of Xavier University of Louisiana from 1968 to 2015. He was the first Black and first lay president of the school, and the second African American to ever serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States.