Ninety years ago, Douglas County High School's class of 1917 consisted of six women and one man.
The list of graduates were Agnes Jensen, Hilda Heise, Alsy Springmeyer, Ada Fricke, Florence Heitman, Jennie Jacobsen and Siegfried Heise.
That class faced war, though the draft didn't immediately affect 18-year-olds and women weren't eligible to serve in the real military. Women had won the right to vote in Nevada elections in 1914, but the voting age was 21 as well.
At least some of the women who graduated in 1917 could have been among the first to vote for president in the election of 1920.
The six women who graduated in 1917 had far fewer opportunities than the more than 190 young women who comprise half of the class of 2007.
Both the valedictorian and salutatorian are women and represent the best of their class.
The women in the class of 2007 can vote and serve their country.
They go into the world full citizens of our great republic. Their leadership will help determine the course of the nation and perhaps also the planet.
Congratulations and good luck to all the graduates of 2007.
