Editing Prom (section)

===History===
[[File:Junior Prom 1928.jpg|left|thumb|A crowd gathers for a group photo at a junior prom in Canada, 1928.]]
In the early days of high school proms, the nighttime dance served a function similar to a [[Cotillion ball|debutante ball]]. Early proms were times of firsts: the first adult social event for teenagers; the first time taking the family car out after dark; the first real dress-up affair; and so forth. Proms also served as a heavily documented occasion, similar to a milestone event such as first communion or a wedding, in which the participants were taking an important step into a new stage in their lives. In earlier days, the prom may have also served as an announcement of engagement for the 'best couple' after the prom court had been crowned and recognized.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ann Anderson |title=High School Prom: Marketing, Morals and the American Teen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WCLjW3bh9QUC&pg=PA7 |year=2012 |publisher=McFarland |pages=7–10|isbn=9781476600079 }}</ref>

[[File:High School prom couple portrait.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Prom dates pose for a photo, 1997]]

While high school [[yearbook]]s did not start covering proms and including prom pictures until the 1930s and 1940s, historians, including Meghan Bretz, believe proms may have existed at colleges as early as the late 19th century. The journal of a male student at [[Amherst College]] in 1894 recounts an invitation and trip to an early prom at neighboring [[Smith College]] for women. The word ''prom'' at that time may have been a fancy description for an ordinary junior or senior class dance, but prom soon took on larger-than-life meaning for high school students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vintageinn.ca/2014/11/prom-in-the-1940s-and-1950s/ |title=Prom in the 1940s and 1950s - The Vintage Inn |date=19 November 2014 |access-date=24 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125043323/http://www.vintageinn.ca/2014/11/prom-in-the-1940s-and-1950s/ |archive-date=25 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Proms worked their way down incrementally from college gatherings to high school extravaganzas. In the early 20th century, prom was a simple tea dance where high school seniors wore their Sunday best. In the 1920s and 1930s, prom expanded into an annual class banquet where students wore party clothes and danced afterward. As Americans gained more money and leisure time in the 1950s, proms became more extravagant and elaborate, bearing similarity to today's proms. The high school gym may have been an acceptable setting for [[sophomore]] dances, but [[Junior (education year)|junior]] prom and [[Senior (education)|senior]] balls gradually moved to hotel ballrooms and country clubs. Competition blossomed, as teens strove to have the best dress, the best mode of transportation, and the best-looking date. Competition for the prom court also intensified, as the designation of prom queen became an important distinction of popularity. Prom became the pinnacle event of a high school student's social life.

Today, prom continues to be a notable event in the social climate of high schools. Popular movies and novels attest to the importance of prom themes, prom dates, and prom queens. In some areas, the traditions of prom are not as rigid as they used to be, with many students attending as individuals or in groups instead of as couples. In 1975, U.S. First Daughter [[Susan Ford]] held her prom in the [[East Room]] of the [[White House]].<ref>{{cite book|author= Anderson|title=High School Prom: Marketing, Morals and the American Teen|pages=100–114}}</ref>{{clear}}