Welcome to the Archive
For decades, the Bentley Historical Library has meticulously cataloged the rosters, records, and legends of Michigan Athletics. This project reimagines that history for the modern era.
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Roses That Bloomed in the Snow
The place was Columbus, Ohio, the time, 1950 AD.
With Michigan playing the Buckeyes, O bring back that memory to me!
Right there, in a wild swirling ice storm, with temperatures hovering low
A miracle happened...we saw it... the Rose That Bloomed in the Snow.
The Rose Bowl depend on this one, this game on the ice rink out there,
Our hopes for a victory seemed shattered, then happened a punt and a prayer.
Ohio's Vic Janowicz punted, with less than a minute to go,
The prayer—a blocked kick for a touchdown—and Roses That Bloomed in the Snow.
All credit to our Tony Momsen, who fell on that snow-covered ball.
All hail to our sleet-covered warriors, to Bennie and Crisler and all,
But don't forget freezing alumni, whose wild shivering voices we know
Were joined in the prayer that planted the Roses That Bloomed in the Snow.
A Personal Dedication
This archive is named in honor of the poem found in the book "Roses that Bloomed in the Snow, and Selected Poems" by J. Fred Lawton. This book was given to me as a high school graduation present by my grandfather before I attended the University of Michigan along with a note that reads "Jean and I listened on a radio at Fort Sill to the Roses game. We then saw that team beat California 14-6 (I remember it as 13-7) January 1 in the Rose Bowl just before I went to Korea."
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