SCR 10 — CONDOLENCES: To celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Norman C. Francis.

SLS 26RS-440 ORIGINAL Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.

10 BY SENATORSENATORS DUPLESSISDUPLESSIS, CONDOLENCES.BARROW, BASS, BOUDREAUX, HENRY, KLEINPETER, LUNEAU, MILLER, MIZELL, MORRIS, MYERS, PRESSLY, PRICE, REESE, SELDERS, WHEAT AND WOMACK ANDREPRESENTATIVESBOYD,BRASS,BRYANT,CARPENTER, WILFORD CARTER, CHASSION, FISHER, GREEN, JACKSON, TRAVISJOHNSON,JORDAN,KNOX,LAFLEUR,TERRYLANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, MENA, MILLER, MOORE, MURRAY,NEWELL,PHELPS,TAYLOR,WALTERSANDYOUNG A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana to the family of Dr.

To celebrate and honor the life of Dr.

Norman C.

Francis.

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana to the family of Dr.

and WHEREAS,bornonMarch20,1931,inLafayette,LouisianatoMabelCocoFrancisWHEREAS, andborn Josephon AbelMarch Francis20, whom1931, stressedin theLafayette, importanceLouisiana, ofto educationMabel andCoco sentFrancisandJosephAbelFranciswhostressedtheimportanceofeducationandsenttheirfive their five children to Catholic schools;

and WHEREAS,aftergraduatingasvaledictorianfromSt.PaulHighSchool,Dr.Francis attendedXavierUniversityin New Orleans on a scholarship, wherehe earnedaB.S.earneda B.S.

degree in1952;ultimatelybecomingthefirstAfrican-Americantoin enrollatLoyolaUniversityLaw1952;ultimatelybecomingthefirstAfrican-AmericantoenrollatLoyolaUniversityLaw School in New Orleans, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1955;

however, at that point in his life, he felt he could only help a few people at a time with his legal expertise and believed he could enact greater change as an educator because of the "ripple effect" and transformative power it would Pageproduce 1in ofpeople's 4lives SLSand 26RS-440the ORIGINALcommunity; SCR NO.

10 produce in people's lives and the community;

Norman Francis became a distinguished higher education leader, civil rights advocate, and business leader who played a key role in New Orleans' civic, culture,cultural, and economic institutions;

and WHEREAS,Page on1 Aprilof 4,3 1968,SCR Dr.NO.

10 ENROLLED WHEREAS, on April 4, 1968, Dr.

Francis was the first lay, male, and African-AmericanpresidentAfrican-American president of the university and the second African-American to ever serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States;

Xavier Universityis recognized as a leading producer of black graduates who go on to earn medical and sciencedegrees;sciencedegrees;alegacydirectlytiedto Dr.Francis'belief that education must serve both opportunity and justice to help individuals and the community flourish;

a legacydirectlytiedto Dr.Francis'beliefthateducation must serve both opportunity and justice to help individuals and the community flourish;

Francis served as a confidant to key members of New Orleans' politicalfamilies:theLandrieusandtheMorials,andadvisedeightU.S.presidentsonissues ofeducationandcivil rights whichearnedhim dozensofhonorarydegreesand,in 2006,the2006, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W.

and WHEREAS, as a trusted civic leader who'swhose impact extended far beyond campus, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Dr.

and WHEREAS, as a business leader, in 19721972, he co-founded Liberty Bank and Trust PageCompany 2to ofprovide 4financial SLSservices 26RS-440to ORIGINALunderserved SCRblack NO.communities;

10Liberty CompanyBank tois provideone financialof servicesthe tooldest underservedand blacklargest communities;black-owned banks in the United States, and he was an early investorinbringingtheNewOrleansSaintstothecityandthedevelopmentoftheMercedes Benz Superdome;

Libertyand BankPage is2 one of the3 oldestSCR andNO. largest black owned banks in the United States, and he was an early investorinbringingtheNewOrleansSaintstothecityandthedevelopmentoftheMercedes Benz Superdome;

and10 ENROLLED WHEREAS, nationally, Dr.

and WHEREAS,hisfamilyinastatementtoVeriteNewsstated,"HislegacylivesonnotWHEREAS, his family, in a statement to Verite News stated, "His legacy lives on not only through his accomplishments and leadership, but through the countless lives he inspired, the students and communities he uplifted, the public officials he advised, and values he passed on to us.

and WHEREAS,WHEREAS,heissurvivedbysixchildren:Michael,Tim,David,Kathleen,Patrick, heand isChristina, survivedalong bysixwith children:eleven grandchildren, and a host of other family members and friends;

Michael, Tim, David, Kathleen, Patrick and Christina,WHEREAS,hewasprecededin alongdeathbyhis withlovinganddevotedwifeofsixtyyears, elevenBlanche grandchildren,Francis; and a host of other family members and friends;

and WHEREAS, hewasprecededindeathbyhis lovinganddevotedwifeofsixtyyears, Blanche Francis;

PagePRESIDENT 3OF ofTHE 4SENATE SLSSPEAKER 26RS-440OF ORIGINALTHE SCRHOUSE NO.OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 3 of 3

10 The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared bySenate Legislative Services.

The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] DIGEST SCR 10 Original 2026 Regular Session Duplessis Expresses condolences upon the death of Dr.

Norman Christopher Francis.

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