Ed LaFrance to sign off after 35 years at SRJC at The Oak Leaf – The Student Newspaper of Santa Rosa Junior College

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Ed LaFrance to sign off after 35 years at SRJC

Craig Gettman, Layout Editor
Published: October 29, 2009

: Craig Gettman/Oak Leaf

Ed LaFrance started teaching part time in 1974 and switched to full time in 1984. Spring 2010 will be his last semester at the JC.

A man wearing a tie-dye shirt stands before the class. He lectures with the confident, knowledgeable demeanor of one who devoted his entire life to the subject he teaches. He exudes a quiet, confident passion. The kind that belongs to a living legend. Legends are never born, they are made.

Ed LaFrance, an SRJC professor of Media Studies for 35 years, may or may not be a legend beyond the confines of this campus, but he certainly left an impression on the students and teachers who have come to know him over the years.

“There’s nobody in the middle with Ed. You either love him, or you think he’s the worst instructor ever,” says Hannah Wallstrum, administrative assistant for the Department of Communications. “His sense of fair play and justice doesn’t allow him to keep his mouth shut. He speaks his mind and you know exactly where he stands.” Comments by students on the popular website, ratemyprofessor.com, seem to support this statement.

“Ed is a great teacher. He’s extremely passionate about the subject and really knows what he is talking about. Attendance is DEATHLY important and it’s super important to take GOOD NOTES. You will be fine as long as you take notes, show up and study hard for EVERY exam,” says one anonymous user.

“LaFrance is not just a terrible teacher, he is a terrible human being. It is obvious that he enjoys failing students even though he will lie to you and tell you that he doesn’t just to see how many he can get to drop his class before the end of the semester. It is just wrong that this man is still teaching. Take it in Petaluma to escape this man,” warns another.

LaFrance doesn’t let these opinions affect him. “I just do what I do,” he says. “How people respond? I don’t hold myself responsible.” LaFrance “earned his chops” in the world of broadcast media, giving him an aura of skill and wisdom.

Born in Manchester, N.H. in 1939, LaFrance grew up with interest in radio and television broadcasting. He dropped out of the University of New Hampshire in 1957 and got a job at a local radio station.

“It was very hard to break into radio,” LaFrance recalls. “Radio stations didn’t have what you call interns back in those days. What you had to do was literally work your way in.”

LaFrance moved west to Phoenix, Ariz. in 1962 and got a job at an up-and-coming radio station owned by Dick Van Dyke. The station played everything from jazz to country.

“Phoenix was a very wild, western town in those days,” LaFrance says, “but it was a great place to get experience in broadcasting.”

After moving to Santa Rosa in 1965, LaFrance bought an old AM station called KVRE. Here, he was able to pioneer the alternative radio format – featuring a wide variety of music from blues and rock to country. This strategy that earned the fledgling radio station a loyal fanbase.

Soon after building an FM station on top of the old AM one in 1973, LaFrance began teaching part time at SRJC.

“I had to get out of radio,” he says. “It was time for me to move on.” LaFrance eventually sold KVRE in 1979. At this time, he was still teaching part time at SRJC. However, in 1984, he began teaching full time.

“John Bigby, head of the [communications] department at the time, invited me to come teach a class in radio operations,” LaFrance remembers.

However, due to economic setbacks, those classes were soon cut from the schedule. LaFrance started teaching another class, Introduction to Mass Media (Media 4) It was such a natural fit that he’s been teaching the class ever since.

“My experience in the field enhanced the teaching,” LaFrance says. “Having been in radio, television, management, ownership, sales, talent, doing play-by-play sports, writing editorials and emceeing rock ‘n’ roll shows – all of that is incredible experience that you really can’t get out of a textbook on broadcasting.”

As someone who has real world experience, LaFrance is unique.

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Comments

Cynthia Parkhill

I took media courses with Ed when I was at the JC. He taught me a lot, most notably and memorably, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"

anthonyshideler

I attended SRJC beginning in 2005 and enrolled in Ed's Media 4 class. I aced the first test and never looked back. I recently finished my undergraduate degree in Media Studies in San Diego, and to this day I still refer to Daniel Boorstin's The Image (which I'm sure he still uses)in dealing with mass media study and analysis. I still quote Erich Fromm (whom I discovered in Ed's class) and I'll never forget sitting in the front-right corner of Ed's class when he put a picture of King Abdullah on the overhead and asked the class what they saw. I raised my hand and commented that Abdullah was triangulated; Ed told me I'd killed half his lecture. As a 19-year-old kid Ed opened my eyes to many aspects of life that I had thought I'd already figured out; thanks to Ed I walk through life with an empty cup. After hearing that this will be his final semester I scoured the schedule of classes to see if Ed was teaching any classes that I've yet to take, and even though he's not, I'm still contemplating one more semester of Media 4. Ed is one of a handful of teachers I've had over the past 20 years of academic experience whom I will never forget. Thank you for all you've given Ed, your presence will be sorely missed.
Oh yeah....and uh Ed.....your bio on your homepage has a couple misspellings (i.e. focusses and constucted), just thought you'd like to know ;)

dankatz

Dan Katz here...
Ed was the very first instructor I ever had in college. 1989: M/W/F Media 4. 8am. He kicked my ass every time. He changed my life. He supported my independence. I felt like I connected with someone who I respected. He woke me up, inspired me and helped me see the world in a different way. He also seemed jazzed about me too, and that's like wind in the sails. I'm always, truly grateful for him being on the planet.

So if you took his class and didn't appreciate who was in front of you? Really, you just didn't get it.

Ed. You know how much I love ya.
Dan Katz

Elaine LaFrance

I am not only commenting as a former SRJC student, who has since accumulated a B.A. from UC and a law degree from UC Davis, but also as Ed LaFrance's daughter. My father has always been a passionate advocate of his opinions and causes, and has affected my own life and career in his affinity for justice. HE IS ALSO A STICKLER about SPELLING. I was glad to see him transition from a Disc Jockey/Radio Station Owner into a College Instructor. HE IS A STORY-TELLER and deserves to have stories told about him. I HAVE NOT TAKEN HIS CLASS, BUT I ONCE SAT IN ON A LECTURE HE GAVE, AND I AM SURE I MADE HIM NERVOUS! He has been an inspiration and a frustration for a generation or two of SRJC students, and he deserves to be memorialized.

Elaine LaF., Esq.

Ed L IV

I am this man's son, and I just thank the heavens that I never had to take one of his classes!

John Nickols

My name is John Nickols I live in C oncord MA Igraduated in 1980 I was SRJC student body vice president as well as many SRJC positions and activites I met ED LAfrance during the first "teacher evaluation: expirnment in 1979 I found ED to be tough and fair And 35 years teaching can make anyones shell harder! Don Hoefs was srjc s. body president Eugene Canavri was head of student activites Wild times glittre balls ---yes DISCO was the rage And if Icould journey back 30 years Iwould attend SRJC again I will always remember and respect the "tough" teachers John Nickols