Interviewer: Laura Ek, with Lillian Miller

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I met Harold and Sarah Schoeffler through David Goodwyn. He referred me to them as long-time social and environmental activists with the Lafayette community. After being introduced to them, I set up an interview with them at their home a few days later. Lillian Miller was invited and accompanied me to the interview.

Harold Schoeffler is from Lafayette, Louisiana. His grandfather, grandmother, and father came here in 1910 across the Atlantic from Germany. His mother’s side is Cajun French. He has lived here his entire life except for four years when he was in the Air Force. He joined the Air Force in 1961 and got out in 1965. He became his father’s partner at his Cadillac dealership and took over management of the business in June of 1965. He is retired from the Cadillac business now. He is extremely involved in the local boy scouts and has been since his own childhood. He has also been active in the Sierra Club since 1968 and is active in developing wind energy in Texas and Louisiana. He has also played an integral part in implementing recycling in Lafayette, was involved with opposing the shell dredging, and coastal restoration. Sarah Schoeffler, his wife, is originally from Franklin, Louisiana. She works actively for the Live Oaks Society, the local Sierra Club chapter, and several other organizations. They have several children, all middle age adults. One of their sons whom I met at dinner is a landman, and apparently is doing very well in his job.

They speak extensively of what Lafayette looked like from the 1980s onwards, and the effect of the offshore oil and gas industry both on the environment, the community, and the economic impacts. They both discuss the future of energy in Lafayette, and the nature of the “family oriented” community of Lafayette. They also talk about the impacts of the BP oil spill, their roles in the community, and major turning points in history for the town (such as desegregation and environmental policies).