class prophecy...
 
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Forty-two years have passed us by
Since we left dear old Newport High

I, Nancy, with hair of grey
Have just finished my fiftieth book today

I, Allen, with my gold walking cane
Have written poetry to make a famous name.

We were strolling along Forty-Second Street
When quite by chance we happened to meet.

In New York night club, over a cup of tea,
"We'll visit dear ole Newport," decided we.

We left for Newport, (our friends didn't know it)
An old maid author and a bachelor poet.

In our chartered helicopter, our pilot was Billy Wood
He got us to Newport's airport the best he could.

To our surprise, our cab driver was Tom Clark!
He took us to town without a scratch or mark.

We arrived at the telephone office and jerked to a stop
When up came Lucy Simmons, the girl motorcycle cop.

She took Tom to see Judge J. "Mutt" Montgomery, and so
Up the stairs of the telephone office we did go.

There was operator Ann Jamison listening to conversation
What Mary Ann Ireland was saying must have been a sensation.

Ann took time off to tell us what's brewin'
With our '52 classmates and what they were doin'.

Harold Honey is out on a lark
He's the town's best pool shark.

John Minor and Mildred Jarvis have settled at Overcup.
Between raising pigs and 15 kids, they've got quite a set-up.

Clitus Ivie has directed our band
For thirty-five years. Ain't that grand?

Doffie Jarvis, coach of the Newport Greyhounds
Is a little heavier now. He weighs 203 pounds.

The coach of the coach of the Greyhounds
Is Patsy McDonald, who keeps him in bounds.

Glenn Sink has given Hollywood its latest jar.
He's their newest freckle-faced movie star.

In Africa there is no one finer
Than the big game hunter, Donald Tyner.

Among our other prominent stars
Is Bobby McKenzie driving his hot rod cars.

Do you remember Peggy Bogle, that cute little doll?
Well, she's now a famous gangster's gun moll.

If anything in your brain goes wrong,
You'll visit the State Hospital Warden, Pete Long.

Here comes the mailman! Wouldn't you know?
It's none other than our old chum, Junior Low.

Seven feel tall and muscle bound,
A's Mr. America, Bill Parker is world renowned.

Bettie Smith has taken the place of Miss Lizzie
With Shakespeare, she keeps her pupils busy.

Betty Combs is the lady mayor of Diaz.
She's fixing up the county roads (she says).

J. C. McMinn is a baseball pro.
When he hits the ball it really does go.

A sharecropper in Texas is Polly May.
She works (?) till sundown everyday.

After thirty years of happy marriage,
Betty Cathey is pushing her tenth baby carriage.

George Marchand is in a big political function,
He's the ambassador to Podunk Junction.

You have to admit, Thomas Gardner's no fool,
He's the author of a correspondence course on "How to Skip School".

Melba Williams is a piano teacher
She's married to Boyce Holt, the preacher.

Billy Paige is a millionaire playboy.
He's leading a reckless life of joy.

Charles Catterlin and Delmer Deason farm together,
Through all kinds of CENSORED weather.

Poor Kathryn Graham, the Latin scholar,
Is eccentric and without a dollar.

Jimmy Farmer is a singing cowboy,
His fame equals that of Gene and Roy.

Sylvia East, Jean Hutchinson, and Carol Tims are can-can girls.
Men give them fabulous minks, diamonds, and pearls.

Josephine Wilson is really terrific,
As the leading lady in "South Pacific."

Billy Morris is a Wall Street big shot.
Fannie Ford, his secretary, helps out a lot.

David Young used to play the trombone,
'Till Mary Vaughn hocked it for a loan.

The rich man's darling, Rita Paysinger
Pampers the men and never lifts a finger.

Stop at Gloria Huey's antique shop
To hear auctioneer Dawn East blow his top.

Bobbie Scroggs is an interior decorator
She's doing the house of Dorotha Shoemaker.

Margaret Anne Roberts is a model for Nelson's Studio
Ray and Dean are the photographers. (Did you know?)

Betty Nicholson is the Waldorf-Astoria cook.
You will recognize her at very first look.

Christine Stevens and Janet Reeves are in the navy blue,
The Waves are about to retire them, too.

Tommy Joplin is in the Foreign Legion.
A broken heart sent him to the desert region.

Wanda Stoner is a ballet dancer.
She's engaged to James Smith, a free lancer.

Ralph Romine and Buddy Riley are still in the National Guard.
After forty-two years, they say it's kinda hard.

Emogene and Mary Van have fulfilled their dream,
They are making that delicious Watt's Ice Cream.

Carmen Adcox said she'd go around the world before she busted,
But, doggone it! Her bicycle done went and rusted.

Betty Weaver is a tight rope walker,
(Gosh, ain't Ann a terrible talker?)

Over her new atomic range
Veda Howard's cooking something strange.

Kenneth Williams invented the Gismowhack,
Frank Johnson is a bookie at the Lakeside Race Track.

Frances Robinson is a lady wrestler on TV.
Pauline House is a girdle inspector for the Stretchum Company.

Dorothy Langston is the editor of the Daily Dally,
Her star reporter is Barbara Talley.

Dorotha Wallis sells freckle remover cream,
And Evelyn Wilson is a singer on the radio beam.

Telling Ann farewell and all
We wandereed out into the hall.

Bobby Huey, the janitor, with his mop and broom
Told us that Bill Morgan, the lawyer was in the next room.

Visiting Bill, in his souped-up Rambler,
Was Herbert Heffington, the White River gambler.

In the next office, behind bottles of pills,
Was Dr. August Cravens, sending out bills.

Robbie Brownlow is Dr. Cravens' nurse.
Most of her patients feel worse and worse.

If you need a plumber in the middle of the night
Call Lynwood Hammontree, he will fix it up right.

Saying good-bye to all our friends,
We went back to where we'd been.

Our trip was enjoyable and we had fun,
Finding out what our old classmates had done.

Very truly yours, (we think you're grand!)
Nancy McDonald and Allen Dean Gillihan.

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teacher



 
class will ...
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
.
State of Insanity
School of Newport High
Know all men by these presents, that we the Senior Class of the school of Newport High and the State of Insanity, being in good health and unsound mind and memory, and being the age of Seniors, do make and publish this our last will and testament, leaving some things we have and wish we had, to Juniors who have and mostly need these things, hereby revoking all wills made by us at anytime heretofore.

First -- We direct that all our debts (hours still to be made up in the office) be paid and that our teachers gray hairs caused by us be pulled out free of charge by the incoming Seniors.
.
Second -- We leave our personal qualities in the following order:

  • PEGGY BOYLE'S knack for getting men to Patsy Turner.
  • BOBBIE BROWNLOW'S watchful eye over Do It Dean to Mary Ann Morton.
  • BETTY CATHEY'S beautiful eyes and skin to Bonnie Balch.
  • CHARLES CATTERLIN'S intellectual look and prestige to Frederick Stewart.
  • TOM CLARK'S brains to Danny Purifoy.
  • BETTY COMB'S neatness to Irene Guinn.
  • MARY ANN also leaves the same to Irma Jean Lindsey.
  • AUGUST CRAVENS leaves his sprees to Carlos broadwater.
  • DELMER DEASON'S hunting ability to Carlon Stewart and Bobby Young.
  • DAWN EAST'S bedroom eyes to Frances Hill.
  • SYLVIA EAST'S love for all the teachers (Ha!) to Muriel Jones.
  • JIMMY FARMER'S girlish figure to Sam Burkett and James Grotts.
  • FANNIE FORD'S easy-going way to Phyllis Heatherly.
  • PAULINE HOUSE leaves hers to Irma Sullins.
  • THOMAS GARDNER and CHRISTINE STEVENS leave their attraction for nicknames to Viettia Buford and Frances Carlyle.
  • ALLEN GILLIHAN'S ability to write poetry to Koleta Shoemaker and Jimmy Bomer.
  • KATHRYN GRAHAM'S bottle of Blue Pills to Penny Mahle.
  • LYNWOOD HAMMONTREE'S loud mouth to Lonnie Bennett.
  • HERBERT HEFFINGTON'S Toni kit to Leroy Latner.
  • BOYCE HOLT'S skill in sports to Bobby Biggadike.
  • RALPH ROMINE leaves the same to John Robinson.
  • HAROLD'S (Honey) job at Sterling's to Bobby Massey.
  • VEDA HOWARD'S habit of chewing gum to Barbara Simmons.
  • BOBBY HUEY'S beautiful eyes to Betty Woods.
  • GLORIA HUEY'S love for red heads to Irene Miller.
  • JEAN HUTCHINSON'S position as forward on the basketball team to Sara Parish.
  • CLITUS IVIE and DAVID YOUNG leave their high places in the band to Jack Nance and Russ Smith.
  • ANN JAMISON'S home-making abilities to Charlotte Walker.
  • DOFFIE JARVIS' habit of going steady to Harver Haley.
  • MILDRED JARVIS' ooh la laa to Hildegarde Wilmans.
  • JO WILSON'S ability to get into trouble to Nancy Jo Williams.
  • BILLY WOODS' curly hair to Bobby Taylor and Don Turner.
  • CARMEN ADCOX'S beautiful voice to Jo Ann Adams.
  • DORTHA LANGSTON'S sweet disposition to Laura Jane Collier.
  • JAMES LONG'S ability to get along with everyone to Tommy Couch.
  • JUNIOR LOW'S guitar to Eugene Driver.
  • GEORGE MARCHAND'S title of "Frenchie" to Buzzy Shaver.
  • POLLY MAY'S nickname "Pot" to all the junior girls.
  • JOHN MINOR is going to leave all the junior boys a membership to the Overcup Club.
  • JIMMY MONTGOMERY'S title "The Duck Slayer" to Rudene broadwater.
  • BILL MORGAN'S ability to skip without being caught to Ralph Garland, Johnny Haynes, Jerry Haney, and James Balch.
  • BILLY MORRIS' love for Jo Ann to Fred Grubbs.
  • NANCY McDONALD'S big lock and key to Shirlene McIntosh. (The use is to keep a good hold on her steady.)
  • PATSY McDONALD'S habit of going steady to Wilma Nicks.
  • BOBBY McKENZIE'S aches and pains to Stuart Cravens.
  • DEAN NELSON'S personality to Bobby Myers.
  • RAY NELSON'S muscles to Gene Blanton.
  • BETTY NICHOLSON'S personality to Lois Goodwin.
  • BILLY PAIGE'S car and looks to Judson Hout.
  • BILL PARKER'S seat in Algebra to Billy Jo brannon so he can further his knowledge in English, Spanish, French and everything but Algebra.
  • RITA PAYSINGER'S sweet smile to Nada Johnson.
  • JANET REEVES' typing ability to Jo Ann Douglas.
  • BUDDY RILEY'S ability to never have a pencil or piece of paper to Kirby Simpson.
  • MARGARET ANNE ROBERTS and BETTY SMITH leave their ability to flirt to Doris Powell and Juanita Robinson.
  • BOBBIE SCROGGS' letter-writing to Betty Lowery.
  • DORTHA SHOEMAKER'S title "Sweater Girl" to Betty Rose Greer.
  • LUCY SIMMONS' delight to argue to Roy Middlebrooks.
  • GLENN SINK'S Van Johnson appeal to Harold Mantooth.
  • WANDA STONER'S shortness to Lanell McAllister.
  • BARBARA TALLEY'S long platinum hair to Mildred Hale.
  • DONALD TYNER'S good looks to Doodle Davis.
  • MARY LOU VAUGHN'S anything except David.
  • BETTY WEAVER'S shyness to Glenda Dudley.
  • MELBA WILLIAMS' knack for going steady to Shirley McCartney.
  • KENNETH WILLIAMS' ability to make straight A's to J. I. Harris.
  • EVELYN WILSON'S soda jerking ability to Frances White.
  • TOMMY JOPLIN'S red hair to Jo Ann Wilson.
  • J. C. McMINN'S title of "Star" in basketball to Bill Roberts.
  • CAROLE TIM'S love for Tuckerman to the Junior girls.
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teacher



 
class history ...
~ ~ ~
On the opening day of school in September, 1946, Newport High School was swarmed and dragged under by herds of little seventh graders, some noisy and excited and some just plain scared stiff.

The graduates of the two rival grammar schools finally and permanently came together. From East Newport came Betty Cathey, Charles Catterlin, Sylvia East, Jimmy Farmer, Herbert Heffington, Harold Honey, Jean Hutchinson, Clitus Ivie, Doffie Jarvis, Mildred Jarvis, Carmen Adcox, Carol Tims, James Long, Jimmy Montgomery, Billy Morris, Bobby McKenzie, Dean Nelson, Betty Nicholson, Buddy Riley, Ralph Romine, Bobbie Scroggs, Glenn Sink, Christine Stephens, Dorothy Wallis, Betty Weaver, Imogene Watts, and Franklin Johnson. Walnut Street that year got rid of Peggy Bogle, August Cravens, Allan Gillihan, Kathryn Graham, Mary Ann Ireland, Ann Jamison, Billy Wood, Nancy McDonald, David Young, Polly May, John Minor, Ray Nelson, Billy Paige, and Margaret Anne Roberts.

The "organized confusion" was increased by the arrival of Betty Combs from Stegall, Boyce Holt from Anderson, Pauline House and Bobby Huey from Johnstown, Fannie Ford and J. C. McMinn from Remmel, Tommy Joplin from Pennington, George Marchand from Stuttgart, Patsy McDonald from Little Rock, Wanda Stoner from Tuckerman, and Mary Van Watts from Newark.

Our class was enriched in the eighth grade by the addition of Delmer Deason and Melba Williams from Surrounded Hill, Joe Wilson from Jonesboro, Bill Morgan from Winterhaven, Florida, Gloria Huey from Balch, Bill Parker from Nashville, Tennessee, and Dawn East from Morris School for Boys.

In the ninth grade things started popping as far as we were concerned. Everything was new to us and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our little "romances" began popping up (and down) then. We had dances and parties galore! The one we especially remember was the dance we gave for our junior football team of which we were extremely proud. Basketball was the thing that year. We were joined during our freshman year by the Tupelo crew, Thomas Gardner, Lynwood Hammontree, Junior Low, Lucy Simmons, Mary Vaughn, and Kenneth Williams. Veda Howard from Tuckerman, Dorotha Langston from Newark, and Dorotha Shoemaker from Batesville also set their caps toward being alumni of NHS.

Our sophomore year was also running over with good times -- and studying. Three more girls decided to come to Newport and struggle through classes with us. Shooting down Highway 67 straight from Corning came Bettie Smith. Beedeville let us have Evelyn Wilson that year and bradford gave us Barbara Talley.

Giving the Junior-Senior Prom and Banquet for the graduating class was our job in the eleventh grade. We really slaved over it, too, but it was worth it. Robbie brownlow from Poplar Bluff, Tom Clark from Birmingham, Michigan, Rita Paysinger from Grubbs, James Smith from Burdett, and Donald Tyner from Augusta came just in time to help us work on it. We gave our first class play that year and some of us took part in the operetta. A lot of our time was devoted to sports and various organizations.

Our Senior year was really about the most important year of all to us for during that year thoughts of graduation were upon our minds and sentimentally we began looking back and recalling the things that had become our fondest memories and experiences. By this time we were different people from the group of kids that had invaded the halls of NHS for the first time in 1946. In 1952 we had developed into individual personalities and more mature people with each of us holding a definite place in his heart for each of our classmates. Just one newcomer came to us that year. That was Janet Reeves from Bradford.

In May, as we sing our alma mater together for the last time, we will be saying goodbye to our school and to some of our classmates. What the future holds for us, the Class of '52 remains to be seen, but the past six years have meant a lot to all of us. As someone once said:


Days that are past will never come again,
But memories can live in your heart forever
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teacher


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