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Xavier University
President Receives
the Presidential
Medal of Freedom
Bush calls Dr. Norman Francis a man of
great intellect, compassion
and character
 On
December 15th of last year, Xavier University
President, Dr. Norman Francis was honored by
President Bush with the Presidential
Medal of Freedom. First established in 1945 by
President Harry S. Truman to recognize people
who helped American interests overseas, the
award evolved, by executive order of President
John F. Kennedy in 1963, into an honor
recognizing civilian contributions by
Americans in the fields of the arts,
sports, politics, business and other arenas.
In his class to receive the award, Dr. Francis
was joined by blues legend, B.B. King,
literacy crusader Ruth Johnson Colvin,
historian and journalist Paul Johnson and
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Joshua
Lederberg.
While some may have wondered why it's taken
so long for Dr. Francis to receive this honor,
it is perhaps providence that it happened at
this point in his life and in the history of
the city he calls home. In the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, a man whose legacy
was already established, Dr. Francis would be
asked to take his game to an even higher
level. While trying to rebuild his home and
his university, Dr.
Francis was asked to serve as chairman
of the newly formed Louisiana Recovery
Authority by Governor Kathleen Blanco. He
didn't hesitate. In his capacity, Dr. Francis
figures prominently in the planning and
rebuilding efforts for the Gulf Coast, a
process that experts say will take years and
cost over $100 billion. Not bad for a kid
from Lafayette, La., who wasn't allowed
to live in the dormitory at Loyola University
in New Orleans, where he was the school's
first black law student in 1952.
Dr. Francis' life is filled with commendations
from world figures like Nelson Mandela,
President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Pope
John Paul II and he has received numerous
honorary degrees. But it is his tenure as the
longest serving university president in
American history and the unprecedented success
of Xavier University that seals his legendary
status. Over his incredible 40-year-tenure
Xavier University has become a go-to
university for black students pursuing careers
in medicine, research and pharmacy.
"His commitment to the education of
African-American students in the fields of
pharmacology, science and pre-med is
unparalled," said former New Orleans Mayor
Marc Morial in a recent article. In fact,
Xavier University graduates more black
pharmacists, scientists and aspiring doctors
than any institution in the country. The
university accounts for an amazing 25 percent
of all black pharmacists practicing in
the United States.
In accepting the Presidential Medal of
Freedom Dr. Francis said, "These are the sort
of things that happen in one's lifetime that
you never expect. I accept it for all the
people who made this possible, whose shoulders
I'm standing on and who helped me be
encouraged to work hard and to serve the
career that I chose. They all are part of this
award. It's not for me alone."
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