John Shannon Coogan was born on September 29, 1928, in North Hampton, Massachusetts. John married Betty Jean on August 16, 1952, and they had two children: John III and Sharon.
Coogan was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
Coogan attended the University of New Mexico.
Coogan is affiliated with the Nevada Test Site as part of Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co (REECO); USPAS; and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Dr. Gaelen Lee Felt was a scientist who was active during the height of atomic testing in the mid-twentieth century. He worked for the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Felt worked on the Nevada Atomic Test Site and became deputy director of the site in 1955. He then worked for the firm Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier (EG & G), eventually becoming vice president of the company's technical support group. He served on the Nevada Board of Education beginning in 1965.