Rahall archives officially open: "This is about our legacy." (WITH GALLERY)

Aug. 2—Shared memories and good-natured ribbing among West Virginia's political and university leaders set the stage for officially opening the U.S. Rep. Nick Joe Rahall II Congressional Archives Wednesday morning, hosted by West Virginia University Institute of Technology and the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.

The Rahall Archives house the legacy of the former congressman's nearly four decades in the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the age of 28 when he first took office, Rahall was and remains the youngest congressman ever elected.

Rahall represented West Virginia's Fourth Congressional District from 1977-1993, when it was dissolved due to redistricting. He then represented the Third Congressional District from 1993-2015.

He is West Virginia's longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

When he lost to Republican Evan Jenkins in the November 2014 general election, Rahall said they immediately asked for his keys and told him he had until Thanksgiving to move out of his congressional offices.

He had served southern West Virginia in the U.S. Congress for 38 years; thus, he had rooms and rooms of memorabilia to move.

"You have to move pretty fast," Rahall recalled, noting with a laugh that his family nixed his initial idea of storing the collection at their home.

West Virginia University president Gordon Gee offered Rahall a house on the new WVU Tech campus in his hometown of Beckley; thus, the Rahall archives had a home.

While the Beckley archives exhibit hundreds of photos, mementos, campaign items, and other collections, the bulk of the Rahall archives — approximately 2,000 boxes — is housed in the West Virginia and Regional History Center in Morgantown.

A soft opening of the Beckley archives was conducted in 2015, Rahall said. Dr. Ramon Stuart, president of WVU Tech since Jan. 1, suggested an official opening.

Among the speakers were U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.; Gov. Jim Justice; WVU president Gordon Gee; WVU Tech president Ramon Stuart; and Karen Diaz, WVU dean of libraries.

Several of Rahall's former staff members, numerous current and former elected officials from across the state, higher education leaders from the state's universities, former Gov. Bob Wise and former state treasurer John Perdue were among the guests.

Gee joked with the governor, who coaches high school basketball in Greenbrier County, that he was looking for a basketball coach. Manchin joked that he would endorse Gov. Justice, a Republican who is seeking Manchin's Senate seat, for the coaching position.

Each of the speakers underscored Rahall's service to coal miners, his role in improving the state's transportation and infrastructure, his part in the creation of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and his ability to bridge the political aisle to work alongside other congressmen no matter their political affiliations.

"He was never afraid to fight for West Virginia," Manchin emphasized.

"He is still serving. You would not believe what he is still doing for our country," Manchin added.

Rahall noted that he could share a lot of "old war stories."

"The last thing I want to do is dwell on the past," he told those gathered under the blazing sun. "We learn from history. We learn what works and what doesn't work."

He first served in the 95thCongress, the Bi-Centennial Congress, he said.

"It was an honor like none other. I could not ask for anything to be changed," he said of his political career.

He noted that during his years in Congress, he talked a lot about the "3 T's" — transportation, technology and tourism — which provided a foundation for improving the state. He said U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd (1917-2010), whom Rahall termed his mentor, reminded him there is a fourth T — teamwork, which is important for getting things accomplished at any level of government.

He cautioned youngsters not to let the current political "demonization of one another" and the name-calling discourage them from serving.

"Bridge peers are built of trust," Rahall emphasized. "It's all about your word and your willingness to discuss any issue.

"This is not about my legacy," he said. "This is about our legacy."