Rare 1942 Rose Bowl Trophy to be Offered at Public Auction

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Sep 01, 2015, 08:17 ET

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Coach Eddie Cameron's Personal 1942 Rose Bowl Trophy is being offered at public auction, September 12, 2015.

Leland Little, President of Leland Little Auctions, explains, "This important piece of North Carolina sports history is made even more significant by the fact that the 1942 game in Durham remains the only time since the Rose Bowl's 1923 inception that the game has been played away from Pasadena."

The historic 1942 Rose Bowl game pitting Duke University against Oregon State was originally scheduled to take place as usual in Pasadena, California.

However, during the immediate aftermath of Japan's December 7, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the West Coast was considered vulnerable to enemy air raids and perhaps even invasion. Due to the inherent risks of a large public gathering in California, it looked as if there would be no Rose Bowl game in 1942.

Duke University, in a calculated move to ensure public safety while boosting American morale, offered to host the game rather than see it canceled. The invitation was accepted by Oregon State and the Rose Bowl was sensibly moved to the relative safety of Durham, North Carolina.

Though on home turf and coached by the immortal Wallace Wade, the undefeated Duke Blue Devils lost 20-16 to the visiting Beavers of Oregon State. Despite this loss, select members of the Duke coaching staff were given trophies acknowledging their participation.

In fact, the trophy presented to Eddie Cameron's fellow Duke assistant coach Ellis Hagler now resides in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh.

Cameron's trophy is being sold at public auction. Rob Golan, Historical Director at Leland Little Auctions says, "To our knowledge no such trophies have ever been brought to market before the present example. This unique offering represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone serious about preserving an artifact with numerous historical associations. Where else could World War II, the Rose Bowl, Duke University and the great Eddie Cameron possibly intersect?"

A professional, detailed description, as well as multiple high-resolution photographs of Cameron's trophy are now available online. For this, and more information regarding Telephone, Absentee, and Online Bidding, please visit Leland Little Auctions' website, www.LelandLittle.com.

If you would like more information regarding this story, or to schedule an interview, please contact Leland Little at 919-644-1243 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

SOURCE Leland Little Auctions