The Louisiana Cancer Research Center is among the many institutions that have benefited from the selfless contributions of Xavier University of Louisiana President Emeritus Norman C. Francis, who will be laid to rest next week.

Dr. Francis served on the LCRC Board of Directors from 2004 – 2015.  LCRC board member Mrs. Carroll Suggs is a past chair of Xavier University’s Board of Trustees and worked closely with Dr. Francis during that time. “There was no person any wiser in this world than Norman Francis,” Mrs. Suggs said. The LCRC had been established by the Louisiana Legislature only two years earlier when she nominated Dr. Francis to serve on its board.

Despite the tremendous challenges posed by Hurricane Katrina, Mrs. Suggs recalls Dr. Francis’s unwavering commitment to expanding research and educational opportunities for African Americans and other underrepresented communities. His leadership opened the door to deeper collaboration between Xavier and LCRC partner institutions, LSU Health New Orleans, Tulane School of Medicine, and later Ochsner Health. “It was remarkable to see the institutions working so beautifully together during such a challenging time. And it has flourished ever since.”

During Dr. Francis's presidency in 2009, Xavier received its initial $25 million award from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), a sector of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program. The RCMI program aims to develop and strengthen the research infrastructure needed to conduct state-of-the-art biomedical research and to foster the next generation of researchers from diverse backgrounds. Xavier’s collaboration with the LCRC was an important factor in the success of their RCMI grant.

Xavier University is a leading producer of Black graduates who go on to earn medical degrees and ranks first in the nation in awarding bachelor’s degrees in the biomedical sciences to African American students.  It is among the nation’s top four colleges of pharmacy in graduating African Americans with Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) degrees—an extraordinary achievement rooted in Dr. Francis’s vision and leadership.

Mrs. Suggs says she will remember Dr. Francis as a strong, firm decision-maker.  “One of Norman's great philosophies was being able to make a difference. And he did it in such a magical, wonderful way by believing in people and motivating them to be the best they could be. He exemplified leadership.”

The Louisiana Cancer Research Center extends its condolences to Dr. Francis's family and friends and to the Xavier University community.

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