Jim Futrell

A passionate advocate of attractions industry history, Jim Futrell authored ten books and nearly 100 articles for industry trade publications. He has served as Historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) and in 2005 helped launch IAAPA’s Oral History Project. He was named IAAPA’s Historian in 2023 where his responsibilities include managing the organization’s archives. Among his most recent accomplishments was assisting in the development of the IAAPA Hall of Fame display that debuted at the 2024 IAAPA Expo. He received IAAPA’s Outstanding Service Award in 2018 and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Association Hall of Fame in 2025.