Dr. Rodney R. Lafon

The Visionary Behind the Center.

May 13, 1950 – May 12, 2014

Dr. Rodney R. Lafon was born in New Orleans to Roy Henry Lafon and Yvonne Dauenhauer Lafon. In his early years, he helped at his father’s grocery store on White Street and developed a love for music that would shape the rest of his life. As a young accordion player in Donk’s Honkey Tonks, he performed for patients in hospitals and nursing homes and entertained crowds in the French Quarter while the mothers would pass the hat for tips.

Everything changed when he entered junior high school, and his band director put a trumpet in his hands; he instantly fell in love with the instrument, and it became his lifelong signature. After graduating from Warren Easton High School in 1968, he earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Loyola University.

A Life in Music and on the Road

Dr. Lafon began his career in 1972 as a music teacher at St. Bernard High School. Within months, he pursued a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: joining Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders, an internationally touring band that shared stages with legends like James Brown, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Drifters, and Billy Joe Royal. Touring with the Cochran Band was a dream that had finally come true and for three years, he toured Mexico, Canada, and Cuba, eventually becoming the group’s road manager. During this time, he met the love of his life and wife of 39 years, Joyce Connor Lafon. They married in 1975 and soon returned home to New Orleans.

A Visionary for Public Education

Upon returning, Dr. Lafon joined the St. Charles Parish Public School System as a music teacher. Over the next 20 years, he rose through the ranks to become Superintendent — a role in which he made transformational change.

He continued his studies while working, earning a Master’s Degree in Education and Administration from Loyola University in 1978 and a Doctorate in Education from Nova University in 1992.

Throughout his 18-year tenure as Superintendent, St. Charles Parish Public Schools earned district accreditation and maintained its place among the top school systems in Louisiana.

A forward-thinking leader, Dr. Lafon championed two major bond issues totaling more than $72 million, enabling the creation of state-of-the-art educational facilities for students and staff.

He held leadership roles in numerous state and national educational organizations, including the Schlechty Center, the School Leadership Center, the American Association of School Administrators Governing Board, the Eastern States Consortium, and the Horace Mann League. He was named Louisiana Superintendent of the Year in 2001, recognized for his unwavering belief that all students can learn and excellence is worth the cost.

A Musician at Heart

Even while leading the district, Dr. Lafon never put down his horn. He performed with artists such as Wayne Newton and Jackie Wilson and played regularly with Luther Kent and Trick Bag, The Wise Guys, and The Jerry Leonard Society Orchestra. As part of Luther Kent and Trick Bag’s horn section, he performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for more than 30 years.

A Legacy That Lives On

After four decades of service, Dr. Lafon retired in 2013 and formed the Rodney Lafon Orchestra and Productions. He passed away on May 12, 2014, at the age of 63.

It was his dream to build a performing arts center for the students of St. Charles Parish Public Schools. That dream became a reality in 2018 with the opening of the Dr. Rodney R. Lafon Performing Arts Center, a place where creativity thrives and students are inspired daily. His impact continues at the center that proudly bears his name, shaping the next generation of performers, creators, and confident learners.