1 4 , ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁in ▁Ch ill ic othe , ▁Ohio , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Andrew ▁Jackson ▁Roberts ▁( 1 8 5 2 – 1 9 2 7 ), ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Ober lin ▁College , ▁and ▁Ellen ▁Way les ▁Hem ings ▁( 1 8 5 6 – 1 9 4 0 ), ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Mad ison ▁Hem ings ▁and ▁Mary ▁Hugh es ▁Mc Co y , ▁a ▁free ▁woman ▁of ▁color . ▁Ellen ▁was ▁ 5 ' 1 0 " ▁with ▁blue ▁eyes , ▁and ▁the ▁grand d augh ter ▁of ▁S ally ▁Hem ings ▁and ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson . ▁( When ▁the ▁Jefferson ▁bi ograph er ▁Fa wn ▁Bro die ▁saw ▁a ▁family ▁photo ▁of ▁Ellen , ▁she ▁said ▁she ▁could ▁see ▁the ▁strong ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁Jefferson .) ▁ ▁When ▁Frederick ▁was ▁six , ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁established ▁the ▁first ▁black - owned ▁mort u ary ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁Roberts ▁had ▁a ▁second ▁son , ▁William ▁G iles ▁Roberts . ▁They ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants ▁became ▁prominent ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁area , ▁with ▁a ▁strong ▁tradition ▁of ▁college ▁education , ▁and ▁working ▁in ▁public ▁service . ▁Frederick ▁Roberts ▁attended ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁became ▁its ▁first ▁known ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁African - American ▁descent . ▁ ▁Roberts ▁began ▁college ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ▁( US C ) ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁pre -