Community NewsSPORTS
Best of the Best: Titan Athletes Inducted Into ACPS Hall of Fame
“I’m in great company. I appreciate it and respect it!” said inductee Tanya Galloway-White.
Alexandria, VA – A group of Alexandria’s most illustrious former student athletes were honored Oct. 3 at T.C. Williams High School to celebrate their induction into the annals of history. More than 250 people attended the event, including Alexandria’s finest athletes of the past and their families.
“These athletes represent who we are as a city and a school. They represent Alexandria’s past in the form of the ’71 Titans who stood up for integration, our present students who stand up for equality and know it is not yet a finished task, and our future Titans who will continue the work to see an equitable learning environment in all schools for all students,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
The sixth annual Alexandria City Public Schools induction also featured presenters T.C. Athletic Director James Parker, and speaker and Hall of Fame member James “Jimmy” Lewis, a former Parker-Gray HS basketball star, who was also the first African-American coach ever at Duke University.
“These athletes represent our Titan spirit and have demonstrated first-hand not only
great determination but also the values for which T.C. Williams stands,” said James Parker, the director of athletics and student activities at T.C.
The 2019 Inductees:
- Julius Campbell – Football, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1973
- Walter Densmore -Basketball, George Washington High School, Class of 1957
- Tanya Galloway-White -Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1988
- Ricky Garcia – Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1979
- Cavanaugh Hagen – Basketball, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 2001
- Frank Holloway – Basketball, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1977
- Samella Koroma – Track and Field, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 2007
- Arnold Thurmond – Basketball Coach, Parker-Gray High School
- Glenn Williams – Basketball/Football, T.C. Williams High School, Class of 1984
- The 1957 Boys Basketball Team, Parker-Gray High School
Many of the evening’s honorees were recognized not just for their athletic prowess
but for their contributions to the advancement of civil rights on and off the sports field. For example, football legend Julius Campbell was a member of the newly integrated and 1971 state championship winning Titans team that went 13-0 and was immortalized by the film “Remember the Titans.”
Before integration, the 1957 Parker-Gray Boys Basketball Team boasted a 26-0 record against teams in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. The team won the school’s third consecutive state championship, and was invited to the National Negro High School Tournament in
Nashville, Tennessee.
Cavanaugh Hagan, a multi-sport athlete that lettered in basketball, soccer,
and tennis, flew all the way from San Diego to be recognized as one of the women
receiving plaques at the evening’s proceedings.
“I walked in and I’m so used to seeing the gym differently,” Hagan said. “Just seeing this magical group of Alexandria athletes and their family members supporting each other; I was blown away by everything. I didn’t know what to expect, but it surpassed my expectations.”
The night culminated with each inductee escorted through an arch of Reserve Officer Training Corps sabers to a platform in front of a draped wall. Once everyone was gathered, the curtain was lifted, revealing a row of polished golden plaques, each with a
portrait of the athlete and their accomplishments.
Tanya Galloway-White, a former T.C. Williams shot put champion who still lives in
Alexandria and mentors youth in the community.
“I’m grateful to have been in the presence of all these people. They did an amazing job. The city of Alexandria showed up and showed out. Everybody felt honored,” Galloway-White said. “I’m in great company. I appreciate it and respect it!”
