Alan B. Mollohan was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, on May 14, 1943, to Robert H. and Helen Holt Mollohan. A graduate of Greenbrier Military School, the College of William and Mary, and West Virginia University's College of Law, he began his legal career in 1970 with a Fairmont firm.

In 1976 he married Glenville native Barbara Whiting, who was working as a speech therapist in the Ohio County schools system. They are the parents of four sons and one daughter.

Mollohan was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1983, and has served in each successive Congress.

His top priority is economic development in the First District. He works to defend its traditional industries against unfair attacks and to diversify its base through high-tech, aerospace and government-service activities.

Mollohan is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. It determines the funding for thousands of government programs, totaling roughly one-third of the federal budget (most of the rest is mandatory spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid).

Joining Senator Byrd at the Harrison-Marion Regional Airport runway extension ceremony (Photo courtesy Fairmont Times West Virginian)

The Appropriations Committee consists of 10 subcommittees. Mollohan serves on two of them.

He is "Ranking Minority Member" -- the top Democrat -- on the Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice, Commerce and Related Agencies. The subcommittee funds the departments of State, Justice and Commerce, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), among others.

Mollohan also is a member of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.

In the House, Mollohan is a staunch defender of the "traditional" industries -- such as coal, steel and basic manufacturing -- that have employed generations of West Virginia families.

Standing Up For Steel at the U.S. Capitol

He's served on the Congressional Steel Caucus since the start of his House career. Through the caucus and his own individual initiatives, Mollohan champions causes that are vital to the Northern Panhandle's steel communities, where Mittal Steel and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. are major employers. He fights against illegal foreign imports, unfair foreign competition and unreasonable regulation.

Mollohan also advocates a "common-sense" approach to environmental regulations that impact coal. He opposes politically driven air requirements that place undue burden on Ohio and Monongahela Valley coal and utility industries, arguing that these additional rules steal scores of jobs while yielding only marginal benefits.

In addition, he has consistently voted against NAFTA, GATT and similar trade agreements because of the harm they inflict on the First District and like industrial areas. Mollohan has noted that fair trade cannot exist until our trading partners enact safety, environmental and labor rules similar to ours.

To create good jobs now and for future generations, Mollohan works to diversify the First District's economic base. His focus is on mining new opportunities in the high-tech, aerospace and government-service sectors.

One such initiative is the Institute for Scientific Research (ISR), an important resource for the state's growing software community. ISR provides expert research in software engineering fields with special relevance to the region.

The Mountain State's growing Information Technology (IT) sector, showcased in "West Virginia Executive" magazine

The ISR was established at Mollohan's direction through the joint efforts of West Virginia University and the West Virginia High-Technology Consortium Foundation (WVHTCF). Mollohan created the WVHTCF several years ago to help nurture northern West Virginia's fledgling high-tech sector. From its headquarters at Fairmont's Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center, the WVHTCF leads a host of research, development and education programs.

In addition to these efforts, Mollohan works with technology-oriented government agencies to identify ways in which West Virginia talent can help them achieve their national missions.

Examples include the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC) in Wheeling, the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC) in Moundsville, the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) in Fairmont and the Mid-Atlantic Recycling Center for End-of-Life Electronics (MARCEE), a joint initiative of the Parkersburg-area Polymer Alliance Zone and West Virginia University.

Mollohan also has teamed with U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd to promote development of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MAAC) at Bridgeport's Harrison-Marion Regional Airport. Strategically located close to major eastern markets, MAAC provides first-rate aviation maintenance, overhaul, manufacturing and training services.

Recognizing the enormous potential for Internet-driven growth, Mollohan also has established a program to help northern West Virginia companies learn to do business via electronic commerce. Known as E-Commerce Connection, it includes on-site training across the First Congressional District. A spinoff is MountainMade.com, which gives worldwide exposure to the wares of skilled West Virginia artisans.

Northern West Virginia boasts a rich history, culture and store of natural resources. Mollohan emphasizes close work with local officials to make the most of them.

A special focus is the region's waterways. Use of West Virginia rivers and lakes has fallen short of their potential to power economic development. To change that, Mollohan has brought in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for riverfront and riverport projects in Parkersburg, Weirton and Morgantown, for environmental remediation along the North Branch Potomac River and for remediation and flooding initiatives in several north central watersheds.

He established the Canaan Valley Institute to help local communities solve problems relating to wastewater treatment, erosion control, flooding and other watershed issues. Headquartered in Tucker County, CVI works throughout the four-state Mid-Atlantic Highlands region; through grants and technical assistance, it helps local stakeholders to plan for growth and address threats to their resources.

Mollohan also works in support of historic preservation efforts in communities such as Wheeling, which features a unique collection of Victorian-era architecture, and Arthurdale, the nation's first New Deal Homestead. He assembled a team of preservation and economic development experts to counsel local communities on "redeveloping" their historic structures for new, productive uses. These experts are leaders in the nonprofit Vandalia Heritage Foundation and Vandalia Redevelopment Corporation.

In addition, Mollohan places a high priority on programs that serve the needs of veterans and seniors. Responding to the plight of veterans -- particularly the frail and elderly -- who were forced to travel long distances for basic medical care, he worked to establish community health clinics in Wood and Tucker counties. And he has worked to ensure that Social Security and Medicare remain strong for seniors now and in the future.

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