Holless Wilbur Allen (July 12, 1909
Stilwell, Kansas – June 28, 1979
Billings, Missouri) was the inventor of the
compound bow
In modern archery, a compound bow is a bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs.
In general, compound bows are widely used in target practice and hunting.
The pulley/cam system grants the user a mechan ...
.
Allen revolutionized the
archery industry worldwide with the invention and patent of the compound bow in the 1960s.
In the early 1960s, the
USA experienced an increased interest in bow hunting. Holless Wilbur Allen was mechanically minded and sawed the ends off a conventional
recurve bow
In archery, a recurve bow is one of the main shapes a bow can take, with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than the equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving ...
and then added pulleys to each end. Allen experimented with a number of designs to eventually apply for a patent on June 23, 1966, and was granted to him in December 1969. With the help of bowmaker Tom Jennings, he became the first
manufacturer of compound bows. Of the five bow manufacturing companies to retain the right to manufacture compound bows utilizing Allen's design and patent, PSE (Precision Shooting Equipment) is the only survivor. PSE is the
parent company of Browning Archery and the former Archery Research (AR).
Allen was born in
Stillwell,
Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County is a county in the U.S. state of Kansas, on the border with Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 609,863, making it the most populous county in Kansas. Its county seat is Olathe. Largely suburban, the county cont ...
and lived in
Kansas City, Missouri. He moved to
Billings, Missouri in 1967. He died as the results of injuries suffered in a car accident.
Recognition & Awards
Archery Hall of Fame & Museum: Class of 2010 Inductee, Innovator, Inventor, Contributor to the Sport
References
The Compound Bow*
Archery
1909 births
1979 deaths
People from Johnson County, Kansas
People from Kansas City, Missouri
People from Billings, Missouri
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