Religious Leaders
Dr. John O. Peterson, Sr.
Minister / Humanitarian / Educator
Dr. John O. Peterson Sr., a Virginia Union University valedictorian, taught sciences in Warwick and Arlington, Virginia. He served as pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church from 1964 to 2006, expanding membership by more than 1000%, and increasing the budget from $12,000 to $3.5 million. His involvement with the Baptist World Alliance led him to visit more than 27 countries and positioned him to play a significant role in negotiations with the rebels after the civil war in Liberia. He also served on the Alexandria branch of the NAACP, the Northern Virginia Urban League, the Alexandria School Board, and other local and national organizations.
Lloyd Alexander Lewis
Episcopal Priest / Educator
Lloyd Alexander Lewis, a native Alexandrian, was the first Black graduate of Saint Stephen’s School. A Classics scholar at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1972 he became the first African American from Alexandria to be ordained into the Episcopal ministry. He began his academic career teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary, earning a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies at Yale University. He holds the Downs Professorship of New Testament at the Seminary.
Alexandria African American Hall of Fame
