Although it is not clear how the fad emerged, various people have made claims. A letter to The New York Times claimed that it was started by a man named Lothrop Withington Jr., who was a freshman at Harvard University and did so to win a $10 bet as part of a bid to become class president. The stunt started a competition between multiple universities such as Penn, MIT, and Harvard in an attempt to surpass one another. Women also took part in the trend, as in April when Marie Hensen from the University of Missouri School of Journalism became the first woman widely known to partake in it.
The activity even prompted the establishment of the International Goldfish Gulping Association (IGGA), which sought to determine and enforce competition standards. The last title on record went to Clark University's Joe Deliberto, who sucked down 89 goldfish.Critics of goldfish swallowing soon emerged, such as a poem condemning the practice in the Boston Herald by Eva Williams Raymond and the Society for the Prevention of Goldfish Eating, established in the spring.
Winter Fun ‘21
Welcome to the ‘21-’22 winter series!
These are winter friendly caches to get you moving and grooving during the cold winter months.
Fads are everywhere and often short lived, but here are some of our favorites throughout history!