In February 1940, he and eight other arena managers met in Hershey and organized the Ice Capades.
[2] Sollenberger brought many famous entertainers to Hershey: Fred Waring, Victor Borge, Sonja Henie, Tallulah Bankhead and Eleanor Holm all knew him as "JB".
He had significant and far-reaching impact on the development of Hershey as a vacation and entertainment destination.
His involvement with the league was due to his association with the Hershey Bears, one of the nation's oldest professional hockey teams.
[3] From 1949 to 1962, John B. Sollenberger was president of Hershey Estates, the organization responsible for operating all the non-chocolate businesses established by Milton Hershey, including the entertainment venues.