Joseph Francisco was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 26, 1955. He was born to Lucinda and Joe Francisco, Sr., but grew up in Beaumont, Texas with his grandmother Sarah Walker. As he was growing up in Beaumont, Texas, his possibilities were limited because of who he was and what he looked like. His life consisted of day-to-day tasks and was never about future planning. College was a far-fetched dream, so he never paid much attention to it. Despite the uncertainty, his grandmother, Sarah Walker, who was a strong woman and a great role model for him—was supportive and encouraged him to get an education. He attended Forest Park High School.
Dr. Richard B. Price of Lamar University who he had met by chance encouraged him to pursue a college education. In 1973, he entered the University of Texas, Austin and graduated in 1977. He entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as a graduate student (PhD, and graduated in 1983). In 1983, at age 27, Francisco decided to travel to pursue and obtain his postdoctoral research fellow in Cambridge University, England. In 1992, Francisco married Priya, and has three daughters. He currently resides in Philadelphia with his family.