Robert Homer Mollohan (September 18, 1909 – August 3, 1999) was an American politician who served member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from 1953 to 1957 and again from 1969 to 1983. A Democrat from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, Mollohan was succeeded in Congress by his son,

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Early life and education

Mollohan was born in Grantsville, West Virginia. He attended

Glenville State College Glenville State University (GSU) is a public college in Glenville, West Virginia. History Glenville State University was founded in 1872 as a branch of West Virginia Normal School. It became known as Glenville State Normal School. It served the ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

Career

After finishing his education, Mollohan was hired by the city of

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metrop ...

as a tax collector. In 1935, he was promoted to the rank of chief of the miscellaneous tax division. In 1939, the city reassigned Mollohan's duties, making him the local director of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, in ...

. In 1940, he briefly worked for the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

. For eight years, beginning in 1941, Mollohan was director of the West Virginia Industrial School for Boys in Pruntytown, West Virginia. He left this position in 1949 to become a clerk for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for

West Virginia's 1st congressional district West Virginia's 1st congressional district is currently located in the northern part of the state. It is the most regularly drawn of the state's three districts. As a result of the state's loss of a seat as a result of the 2020 United States ...

in 1953. After just two terms in Congress, however, Mollohan decided to run for governor of West Virginia in the 1956 West Virginia gubernatorial election. He lost the general election to Cecil Underwood. Mollohan did not sign the 1956

Southern Manifesto The Declaration of Constitutional Principles (known informally as the Southern Manifesto) was a document written in February and March 1956, during the 84th United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manif ...

. In 1958, Mollohan decided to run for his old seat, which was then held by Arch A. Moore Jr., a Republican, but was defeated. He temporarily retired from politics and established an insurance agency. In 1968, Mollohan again sought his old congressional seat after Moore decided to run for governor. Despite his long absence from Congress, Mollohan was victorious. While in the House for a second time, Mollohan served on the Armed Services Committee and became known for his ability to gain large sums for local 'pork barrel' projects. Mollohan retired from the House in 1983 and was succeeded by his son,

, who held the seat until 2011.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mollohan, Bob 1909 births 1999 deaths People from Grantsville, West Virginia Works Progress Administration workers Glenville State College alumni People from Fairmont, West Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia 20th-century American politicians