John A. Miller

Roller Coaster Designer and Builder. John Miller was considered the "Thomas Edison of the roller coaster." At age 19 he teamed with LaMarcus Thompson, who built the first roller coaster, at Coney Island. For more than 30 years he designed and built roller coasters all over the world. Almost every roller coaster development, many of which are still in use today, came from the two gifted developers. Miller was also on the forefront of rider safety, developing the safety ratchet and underfriction wheels. He died in Houston, TX while designing a roller coaster in that city.