His small physique was often contrasted alongside larger circus sideshow acts, such as the juvenile obese and the excessively tall, and he was at the movie THE WIZARD OF OZ.

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.

[6] At age six, Howerton was living in McCleary, Washington, with his parents and five brothers, Albert, Ernest, Forrest, LeRoy, and Charles.

[5] In 1923, at the age of ten, Howerton joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, where he starred as a major attraction.

[9][12] In December 1922, Howerton received national press coverage when he visited U.S. President Warren G. Harding at the White House and was billed as "the world's smallest man.

"[16] In 1927, Howerton drew the attention of The New York Times when he led a "strange cavalcade" through the streets of Manhattan to the Hospital for Crippled and Ruptured Children.

The coach was drawn by two Shetland ponies, and Howerton was accompanied by "Tiny Doll", described as "the Major's sweetheart" and other circus performers.

[20] In 1928, Howerton was paired with an extraordinarily large circus sideshow performer known as "Tom Ton" and billed as the "Human Atom" and "Big Baby Elephant.

"[21] Howerton is said to have performed with numerous human oddities, also working with Ruth Pontico, a woman weighing 700 pounds (320 kg), in his career.

[5][22] His biggest role in acting was with 1939's The Wizard of Oz, in which he played the part of a trumpet-playing Munchkin, Herald #3, who announced the arrival of the mayor.

"[27] One newspaper referred to Howerton, who was in reality only 13 years old at the time, as "the Beau Brummel of the side shows", noting that the Doll sisters (two female small persons working with Ringling Brothers) declared him "a regular sheik".

[28] In contrast to his public persona, Howerton reportedly enjoyed cigars and beer, "often yelled obscenities", and was known to "run the length of a bar, kicking anything in his way",[7] sometimes whilst dressed in children's clothes.