Edition

John Haddad

2

0

Professor of American Studies, Penn State

The park, with its name originally two words, Hershey Park, opened in the early 1900s when Milton Hershey built it for his chocolate factory workers and their families. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

April 3, 2026

The costume maker who convinced Hersheypark to embrace candy mascots and ‘chocolatize’ their old‑timey theme park

John Haddad, Penn State

Hersheypark underwent a total transformation in the 1970s, when candy mascots and thrill rides replaced barn animals and old-timey recreations of Tudor England.

Hershey’s chocolates are made in Hershey, Pa., a town once considered an industrial utopia. Gary Burke/Moment Collection via Getty Images

October 29, 2025

How Hershey’s chocolate survived an attack from Mars − and adopted a business strategy alien to its founder

John Haddad, Penn State

A chocolate rivalry in the 1960s transformed a Pennsylvania town and its iconic amusement park.

Contact John for

General
Media request
Speaking request
Consulting / Advising
Research collaboration
Research supervision

Location: Middletown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Website
Article Feed
Joined October 16, 2025