Clarence Chesterfield Howerton

Clarence Chesterfield Howerton
"Major Mite" at the White House, 1922
Born(1913-02-09)February 9, 1913
Salem, Oregon, United States
DiedNovember 18, 1975(1975-11-18) (aged 62)
McMinnville, Oregon, US
Resting place49°14′06″N 123°05′34″W / 49.23496°N 123.092798°W / 49.23496; -123.092798[1]
Occupation(s)Circus performer, film actor
Height2 ft 4 in (0.71 m)
3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)

Clarence Chesterfield Howerton (February 9, 1913 – November 18, 1975), also known as Major Mite, was an American circus performer who starred in the sideshow for over 25 years, 20 of which were with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) tall and performed with several groups from the early 1920s through the late 1940s, billed as the smallest man in the world. His small physique was often contrasted alongside larger circus sideshow acts, such as the juvenile obese and the excessively tall.

Regarded as a "highly successful sideshow [novelty]"[2] and celebrity, Howerton visited the White House and represented recruitment efforts of the United States Marine Corps. He was featured in multiple films, including a role as a Munchkin in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. He retired in 1949.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference OR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Toulmin, Vanessa. "National Fairground Archive". The University of Sheffield. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.