Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics

•  President of Xavier University of Louisiana from 1967 until his retirement in 2015
•  He was a leading force in the rebirth of intercollegiate athletics at XULA during the 1967-68 academic year
•  Near the end of XULA's athletics awards banquet in 2009, a basketball jersey with the number 1 was retired in his honor
•  Recipient of dozens of honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the United States' highest civilian award — in 2006
•  1952 XULA graduate
•  Joined the XULA staff in 1957 as dean of men
•  Born in 1931 in Lafayette, La. . . . celebrated his 91st birthday in March 2022
•  2014 story on Francis' retirement
•  2022 YouTube biographical video (six minutes)