Bob Mollohan

Robert Homer (Bob) Mollohan (September 18, 1909-August 3, 1999) was a former member of the United States House of Representatives. A Democrat from West Virginia, Mollohan's old seat is currently occupied by his son, Alan.

Mollohan was born in Grantsville, West Virginia. He attended Glenville College of West Virginia, graduating with an accounting degree. After finishing his education, Mollohan was hired by the city of Parkersburg, West Virginia 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 hims local director of the Works Progress Administration. In 1940, he briefly worked for the Census Bureau.

For eight years, beginning in 1941, Mollohan was the headmaster of a private, boys' technical school. He left this position in 1949 to become a clerk to the U.S. Senate. Here, he made a name for himself in Washington, and he rode the momentum to an election victory that earned him a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 1st District of West Virginia in 1953. After just two terms in Congress, however, Mollohan decided to leave the District in order to run for West Virginia governor. He lost the election to Cecil Underwood. In 1958, Mollohan decided to run for his old seat, now held by future Republican Governor Arch Moore, Jr., but was defeated. He temporarily retired from politics and set up an insurance agency.

In 1968, Mollohan made another run at Congress after Moore stepped down to run for governor. Despite his long absence, he was victorious. While in the House for his second go around, Mollohan served on the Armed Services Committee and became famous for his ability to gain large sums for local 'pork barrel' projects. Mollohan retired from the House in 1983, after grooming his son, Alan, as his replacement, who has held the seat ever since.

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