Interviewer: Laura Ek

Affiliation: University of Arizona

I met Gary McGoffin through David Goodwyn. David referred me to Gary because he sees him as an active community member (he’s been involved in boy scouts his whole life), is a civic award recipient, and has worked in the oil center since the 1980s.

Gary’s parents moved him and his family to Lafayette, Louisiana from Kansas when he was 10 years old in 1962. He graduated in 1970, but went back to law school for his Master’s and stayed to get his Doctorate, which he received in 1976. He says he stayed in school during that time because he wanted to avoid the draft. He worked as a clerk for one year in Saint Landry parish. He then worked as a landman for two years from 1977-1979 in the New Orleans area. He said he had a lot of fun, but didn’t see it as a future career. So in 1979 he began working in legal services and has been working as an attorney since.

He discusses the deteriorating education system and negative race relations, which he sees as the most critical issues facing Lafayette today. He talks about Lafayette over time and how it has changed in industry, culture, and economics. He also describes the current effects felt from the moratorium and the BP spill.