Riders in the historic St. Michael’s dormitory when the rest of New Orleans establishments had closed their doors to them or openly threatened their safety. (9) In 1963, he became Director of Student Personnel Services and one year later (1964) he was promoted to Assistant to the President. In 1967, he became Executive Vice President. (10) In 1967, Dr. Francis joined the brotherhood of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Sigma Lambda chapter. (11) On the day of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, April 4, 1968, at the age of 37, Dr. Francis accepted the position as President of Xavier University of Louisiana, the Nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university, and his alma mater. He broke barriers on that day by becoming the first African-American lay person to serve in that position. (12) His tenure as President lasted from 1968–2015, and he is one of the longest-sitting university presidents in the Nation’s history. Over that 49-year term, Dr. Francis steered the university to grow both in size and dimension. (13) Dr. Francis was President of Xavier University of Louisiana during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and while at the helm of the school, he more than tripled its enrollment, expanded course offerings, and transformed the campus grounds into an Emerald City of colorful green roofs. During his tenure, Xavier awarded more doctorate pharmacy degrees to Black Americans and sent more Black graduates to medical school than any other U.S. university. (14) Dr. Francis cofounded the Liberty Bank of New Orleans, one of the largest Black-owned banks in the country. Dr. Francis has served as its Chairman since the Bank’s inception in 1972 working to improve access to financial institutions for Black Americans. (15) Francis has served in an advisory role to eight U.S. presidential administrations—not only on education issues, but civil rights as well—in addition to serving on 54 boards and commissions. In 1983, Francis helped compile and release the report A Nation at Risk during