Finding aid to the Santa Claus Bowl of 1948 collection

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
SANTA CLAUS BOWL OF 1948
The Santa Claus Bowl was a weekend of youth football and other events sponsored by
the Pop Warner National Midget Football Conference. It brought together four youth league
football teams whose players ranged in age from 9 to 13 and whose weight could not exceed 105
pounds. The teams played in two semi-final games, with the winners meeting in the
"championship" game and the losers in a consolation game. In addition to the games, the boys
on the teams participated in a variety of events, including a Santa Claus Bowl parade, a banquet,
and trips to local attractions.
After winning eighteen straight games over a two-year period, the Mighty Mites of Miller
Park, Lynchburg, Va. coached by Howard Vance (Happy) Lee, were invited to participate in the
1948 Santa Claus Bowl. In the first game, the Mighty Mites defeated an Omaha team 27-6, and
defeated the host team, the Philadelphia Clickets, on first downs to win the national title. The
video of the Omaha-Lynchburg game was originally filmed 18 December 1948, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, by Chenoweth Films of Omaha, Nebraska.
In addition to the video, accompanying materials include the roster of the 1948 national
champions, the Lynchburg “Mighty Mites of Miller Park,” a list of local organizations
supporting the team, and newspaper articles documenting the achievement.

MS1205