John C. Allen (May 21, 1907 – August 17, 1979) was a roller coaster designer who was responsible for the revival of wooden roller coasters which began in the 1960s. He attended Drexel University. He started working for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1934 as a coaster operator and rose to become president of the company by 1954. He designed more than 25 coasters and made significant contributions to roller coaster technology. He once said, "You don't need a degree in engineering to design roller coasters, you need a degree in psychology."
List of roller coasters The following is a list of roller coasters were credited as designed by John C. Allen: Name Location Built StatusNightmareJoyland1949DemolishedJet Flyer/Sea DragonGooding Zoo Park/Wyandot Lake/Jungle Jack's Landing/Adventure Cove)1956OperatingValley VolcanoAngela Park1956DemolishedFlyerDinosaur Beach1957DemolishedGhost Town Jet / Mighty Lightnin' / CometRocky Glen Park1959DemolishedSkylinerLakemont Park1960ClosedGolden Nugget Mine/Black DiamondKnoebels Amusement Resort1960OperatingTornadoWedgewood Village1961DemolishedStarlinerMiracle Strip/Cypress Gardens1963DemolishedBlue StreakCedar Point1964OperatingJetstreamRiverview Park1964DemolishedMr. TwisterElitch Gardens1965DemolishedSkyliner Fair Park1965Demolished Swamp FoxGrand Strand Park/Family Kingdom1966OperatingCannon BallLake Winnepesaukah1967OperatingShooting StarLakeside Park1968DemolishedZingoBell's Amusement Park1968DemolishedTornadoPetticoat Junction1970DemolishedThe RacerKings Island1972OperatingWoodstock ExpressKings Island1972OperatingGreat American Scream MachineSix Flags Over Georgia1973OperatingCometFunway Amusement Park1973DemolishedWoodstock ExpressKings Dominion1974OperatingRacer 75Kings Dominion1975OperatingWoodstock ExpressCarowinds1975OperatingScreamin' EagleSix Flags St. Louis1976Operating
References
Further reading John C. Allen at Encyclopædia Britannica