William Goddard: Emancipator

Born into slavery, Goddard, a mulatto, was able to buy his freedom by paying in installments. Throughout his life, he purchased or brokered the freedom of 22 enslaved people in Alexandria. He also purchased a parcel of land in the same block as Alfred Street Baptist Church. His date of birth is not known. He died in 1819.

Oliver Ellis: Athlete

Oliver Ellis

Ellis was a four-letter athlete at Parker-Gray High School.  He received national recognition on the football team at West Virginia State College as a senior.  Ellis was inducted into the Greater Washington Fast-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the West Virginia State College Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.  He was one of three Alexandrians to be selected for induction into the Black College Football All-American Team in 1949.