The 1959 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1959. It was the 45th Rose Bowl Game. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the California Golden Bears, 38–12. Bob Jeter, Iowa's star halfback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. Iowa split the national championship with LSU in the polls taken prior to the bowl games that year, but was named national champion outright in the only poll (Football Writers) taken after the bowl games.