Remembrances are pouring on for another civil rights giant. Dr. Norman C. Francis passed away yesterday morning at the age of 94. Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu was a lifelong friend of Dr. Francis; he says while he could have been a world-class lawyer, potentially on a path to the U.S. Supreme Court, he chose a career in academia, serving as president of Xavier University for almost a half-century.
“He thought that his greatest contribution could be through building new generations of leaders, which he did, incredibly, over a 50-year period of time at Xavier University,” Landrieu said.
Landrieu says Francis’ actions were transformative in the fight for civil rights in the South in the 1960s.
“When the Freedom Riders got bombed in Mississippi, he actually hosted them and took care of them on Xavier’s campus. He invited them in,” Landrieu noted.
Landrieu notes that during the latter part of Francis’ presidency at Xavier, he was also instrumental in the recovery effort following Hurricane Katrina, serving as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
“Every time there was a major event, a good one or a bad one, he was always the center of it and the rock and the foundation for so many of us that came after him,” Landrieu said.
Landrieu says with Francis’ passing, everyone will need to step up and fill his shoes, especially these days when the leadership that he showed is needed more than ever.
Comments