OXFORD MEN FINED 1 GUINEA PER DANCE 'WITH A GIRL'
Oxford, England (JFK+50) On December 19, 1924, the Associated Press reports that dancing with a girl "is so frowned upon" at Oxford University* "it is penalized by a 1 guinea* fine ($5 U.S.)."
Every night, the AP report states, "all dance rooms are raided...by...university proctors" and those participants too slow to escape "are regularly fined."
AP says the fines for dancing with girls "are an important source" of revenue for the university.
JFK+50 NOTE
Oxford University, established in 1096, is the oldest university in the English speaking world & the Oxford Press is the largest university press in the world. 31 UK Prime Ministers were Oxford grads as were 73 Nobel Prize laureates. Women became eligible for admission to Oxford in 1920.
*guinea is a coin minted in Great Britain 1663-1818 named for the West African region where gold from the coin originated. In the Great Re-coinage of 1816, the guinea was replaced by the gold sovereign but the name guinea was retained.
SOURCE
"Oxford Students Fined $5 for Each dance With Girls," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., December 19, 1924, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
