The first class graduated from Newport High School in 1901. The commencement was held in the elegant and ornate Newport Opera House at Second and Laurel Streets. The five graduates are, from left to right, (first row) Mary Whittaker, Lula Wolff (later Stephens), and Minnie Ross; (second row) Louise Irby (later Stephens) and Janie Stephens (later White). The boys may have left school already to work in the fields or attend boarding school.
From Watson, Tim, and Elizabeth Jacoway. Newport and Jackson County. Arcadia Publishing, 2016