The Wikipedia entry on Professor Stephen Hawking contains the following bald statement:-

In 1959 - "[Hawking's father] wanted Hawking to attend University College, Oxford, his own alma mater. As it was not possible to read mathematics there at the time, Hawking decided to study physics and chemistry."

This struck me as most odd. Can anyone explain why it was not possible to read maths at University College, Oxford, in 1959?

~Michael~