Richard “Dick” Mansfield, who served for 32 years and rose through the ranks of MPD, gained notoriety by drawing cartoons and pictures. Inspector Mansfield was quite an artist and had some of his cartoons, which related to police work, published in several magazines and periodicals. In the featured photo, Inspector Mansfield is showing one of his cartoons that was published in the Saturday Evening Post, of Norman Rockwell fame. He served from the 1930’s through the mid-1960’s.
Inspector Mansfield give school children “Chalk Talks” about safety and would do individual drawings for the them. There are still a few Washingtonian’s who have kept their prized Mansfield’s and remember Inspector Mansfield fondly.
Here is one of his cartoons of a day dreaming policeman at the call box as he ponders his future or wonders if the call may be from the chief.
I recall “Inspector” Mansfield’s annual visits to Hardy Elementary School. Not only he did his issues his safety pledge cards (I still have mine 60 years later!) but his crayon/pastel drawings on his paper easel were amazing. I recall to this day his instructions to “only cross at intersections… not in the middle of the block”… and he’d draw a 4-way intersection to illustrate his point and then with one smooth swooping motion with his chalk turn it into a skull and crossbones. Scary! Impressive!
Dick Mansfield, Officer Anderson (our Safety Patrol Coordinator) and others from the MPDC inspired me and years later I retired as the Chief of Patrol (No. 2 position) from the Fairfax County Police Department.
Some of my fondest memories were of Inspector Mansfield at Bunker Hill School. Also my teachers there. Ms. Carroll, Miss MacNeil. Miss Slatery and of course miss Amatuli (Fama) I would love to see or hear from some of my clasmates from back in the Forty’s. Shame we do not have those teachers today’
I just today found a caricature that Dick Mansfield did of me when I was probably a year old. That would be 65 years ago! It was in an old photo album…what a treasure!
I remember officer Mansfield and his poster paper visiting Forest Grove ES in early 50s Montgomery County.
He would invite a student to draw a random mark on the large paper then he would make that mark into a picture with a safety theme. He was very creative and absolutely captivated all of us!
I completely forgot all about him until one day, 15 years later, when I was a ES music teacher in Charles County. I wondered why the kids didn’t show for my band class. I heard a familiar voice in the school gym and it was Officer Mansfield! With his poster paper and the green marker! Still captivating!
It was very nostalgic and he left his “mark” with all of us!
I just found out that Dick Mansfield was my great uncle. Pretty awesome.
Richard Mansfield was My Great Great Grandpa I found this today after school, Im glad that I finally found it and is happy to know that he is still remember’d to this day.
I have over ten Christmas cards sent to my family in the 1950’s by Dick Mansfield. Filled with hand written notes and cartoons. Real treasures!!!
I remember him fondly from Gage Elementary School and/or Takoma Park Elementary School. One year, he asked my sister Linda what she would do if her ball went into the street, and she said something like “I’d run and get it”. He laughed, and she somehow ended up receiving a grey Jeep pedal car named Nellybelle (like used on the Roy Rogers TV show) as a prize. In about 1950 or so, I was a member of the Wash. DC Police Boys Club; wonderful memories!
I started grade school in 1959 at St.Peter’s in Washington, D.C. and one of the fond memories I have is the annual appearance of Officer Mansfield.While we’re on the subject of nostalgia, maybe you D.C. 1960’s grade schoolers will remember the annual visit by the World’s Finest Chocolate salesman.I usually ended up by buying quite a few of them myself!
1961 or earlier, Officer Dick Mansfield visited St. Peter’s Catholic School, 3rd St., S.E., D. C., “cross on the green and you’ll be seen, cross on the red and you’ll be dead.” I am 69 and still remember. My youngest brother, Paul, reminded me of his name.
When I attended Anne Beers Elementary in Southeast Washington, DC, Dick Mansfield visited our class and taught us songs about saftey, and called us “Safety Carefulliers.” One song was “Remember your Name and Address,” and the other was “Ice Skating is Nice Skating.” I still remember those lyrics.
I remember Officer Mansfield, When I was 5 or 6 years! He came to Mathew G Emery Elementary School! March 5th was my Birthday, He drew me a Ballerina, He gave he to me ! I never been so adorable and happy, Because, He made her brown skin just like me!!!
I went to Edmonds elementary from 194 untill 1950 .and eastern elementary school.remember dick real good I was captain of patrols and Linda Wayland was leutent
I was about 8-9 when i won a drawing contest about safety, for drawing the letter “R”, a little girl playing with matches.
i went to Wash DC and appeared on the Dick Mansfield Show. i was supposed to have received several Amour Star products, ham, bacon, hot dogs, etc. as my prize. I NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM THEM. Big disappointment……..
I do have fond memories of Officer Mansfield. He would visit D.C. Schools almost every year. He was very funny. Had us in stitches and gut busting laughing. However D.C. Schools were never invited to attend Glenecho amusement park.due to the racist policy of Glenecho at the time.Blacks were not allowed to enter the park during the sixties. But Officer Mansfield was always funny, professional,approachable and nice.
IN MONTGOMERY CO., SAFETY PATROLS EACH YEAR WERE INVITED TO GLEN ECHO AMUSEMENT PARK FOR FREE RIDES AND ALL-YOU-CAN EAT AND DRINK HOT DOGS AND SODA; BAD COMBINATION, MANY KIDS THREW UP INCLUDING ME BUT WE HAD FUN
So awesome to see this remember him at school and my grandfaththers police co worker