The FFA Motto "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve" has been the foundation for the Mansfield FFA Chapter since it's beginning, in the fall of 1935. Vocational Agriculture courses at Mansfield High School started with the 1935-36 school year. The Mansfield FFA Chapter was chartered on November 1, 1935. Ben A. Barber was the first Vo-Ag teacher and FFA Advisor.
In the following years the chapter gained many successes. The first member to earn the Lone Star (state) Farmer Degree was Harold Rawdon in 1942-43. The first to earn the American Farmer Degree was Troy Smith. He earned his degree in 1946-47, and later returned to Mansfield to teach Vocational Agriculture with Mr. Barber during the 1950's.
Over the years excellence became the theme for everything the chapter and it's members did. This excellence has been reflected through several area and state winning leadership teams, judging (CDE) teams, in the many students who have earned the Lone Star (State) FFA Degree, in the many awards earned by the chapter and it's individual members, though outstanding Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) programs and in the outstanding leadership exemplified by Mansfield FFA members. The chapter has had state winners in several different contest, showing the diversity of the program to meet the changing needs of students. Many top livestock show awards have been earned by Mansfield FFA members as have Proficiency Awards and specialized awards such as State winning Co-op awards, H.O. Sargent Awards and Computers in Agriculture Awards. The chapter has had many district and area FFA officers come from it's ranks and two state officers, Cleve Clark, State First Vice-President 1976-77 and Erica Clark, who served as the first ever female State FFA President in 1991-92. (Cleve and Erica were not related)
The long and proud history of the Mansfield FFA Chapter includes many years and many FFA members, as well as much success. The links below will guide you through several pages on the proud history of the Mansfield FFA Chapter. We hope you enjoy it.
This FFA history project was actually started as part of our chapter's 50th Anniversary celebration. Mr. Whitson's Ag Co-op class of 1984-85 compiled the first research on our chapter's history. They were assisted by the late Mr. Ben Barber and the late Mr. Harley Reed. Other classes and FFA Historians continued to search for information over the next several years. FFA Historian Danielle East did a major Independent Study project on the chapter's history in the 
spring of 1998. This is a work in progress. We realize that many of the list and some of the information presented here is incomplete and possibly incorrect in some cases. We hope that former members, family, friends, current or former school officials and others in the community can help "fill in the gaps" and make our chapter history complete and accurate. Please email any information or comments to ffa@mansfieldisd.org.
Important Dates in the History of the National FFA Organization
National FFA Archives