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Triplett earns lifetime achievement award; reflects on career

Attorney George R. Triplett was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys.

ELKINS — From tiny acorns do mighty oaks grow.

That well-weathered English proverb is a fitting aphorism that describes one of the area’s most accomplished and well-respected citizens.

From humble beginnings in his native Pocahontas County, George R. Triplett has blazed a defined and deliberate path through life, amassing a litany of accomplishments in the field of law and — more importantly — countless lifelong friends and a loving and caring family.

“I owe it all to faith in God, strong family ties, honesty, hard work and a good education,” Triplett said. “I also owe a lot to my many friends, family and clients.”

“I am thankful coming from where I did, and turning 82, that I am still able to come into work every day and people are still wanting to see me,” Triplett added. “Many people have contributed to where I am today.”

Triplett, who recently was selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys, was born in Pocahontas County under humble circumstances.

“I had a million-dollar childhood growing up up there on Cheat Mountain,” Triplett said. “I grew up in a Western Maryland section game company house with no electricity.”

“I was fortunate enough to start first grade in 1941 at the outbreak of World War II, and attend the schools of Randolph and Pocahontas counties,” Triplett added.

“I graduated from Green Bank High School in 1953 and Davis & Elkins College in 1955.”

While at Davis & Elkins College, Triplett was a standout football player for the Scarlett Hurricanes. He still is very close with several of his former teammates, and organizes D&E football reunions nearly every year.

After graduating from law school, Triplett was the investment securities and corporation attorney and advisor for the banking commission in Charleston. From there, Triplett was appointed as an assistant to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia by then-U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

“In those days, there were two assistants and one U.S. attorney, to give you an idea from the differences from today,” Triplett said. “I was very fortunate in winning jury verdicts in both criminal prosecutions and in civil cases representing the federal government.”

In 1968, Triplett — who is the author of ‘Our Proud Mountain, Roots and Heritage’ — was elected circuit judge of Randolph County, the 20th judicial circuit, where he was active in deciding cases declaring the West Virginia B&O tax unconstitutional, cases involving the Sunday closing law and a case declaring the state penitentiary at Moundsville as cruel and unusual punishment for an 18 year old.

In 1977, after completing his circuit judge duties, Triplett opened up a law practice.

“Basically, what it was, I was a tenacious, overzealous, risk-taking trial lawyer representing the underdogs,” Triplett said. “I was representing Vietnam veterans — in federal and state courts — black lung coal miners and widows of black lung coal miners whose bodies were never recovered from Farmington No. 9.”

Triplett’s case load and law-practice style drew the attention of the U.S. Department of Labor, coal companies, the United Mine Workers and others, which resulted in controversy and a battle in court.

“It hasn’t been all peaches and cream,” Triplett said. “The Department of Labor, United Mine Workers, coal companies and insurance companies didn’t want to pay them (black lung miners and widows) the benefits they were entitled to. So, I gained the disfavor of the federal government, federal agencies, coal companies, baking institutions, insurance companies and so on, which resulted in the state bar and the Department of Labor going against me to revoke my law license on the grounds that I charged contingent fees rather than keep copious time records.”

“These black lung clients carrying their oxygen tanks and these widows came to my defense, which resulted in an Oct. 27, 1988 decision ruling that the regulations of the Department of Labor were unconstitutional,” Triplett added. “I was guilty of no wrongdoing. The decision was appealed, though, by the U.S. Department of Labor and the state bar. The United State Supreme Court, in which Thurgood Marshall, the only practicing lawyer of the nine-members wrote the minority opinion and sent it back. After I had refunded all attorney fees, the state bard finally called it quits.”

Despite the stress and tribulations of taking on the U.S. government and the state bar, Triplett remains steadfast and proud of the work he did with the black lung miners and their widows.

“As I said, it hasn’t been all peaches and cream,” Triplett added. “Really, I hold no grudges, because of God’s many blessings.”

One of his many blessings is his recent award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys.

“This award of America’s Top 100 is a result (of my work) since 1962 to the present time,” Triplett said. “It’s been fruitful, humbling and a learning experience. You never stop learning. Leaning and education is something that never stops. It’s ongoing.”

“I have had a great many blessings in my life,” Triplett added. “I have been married to two coal miners’ daughters from Coalton and Norton with coal dust in their hair. I have three wonderful sons and daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. I truly am the most blessed man that ever lived.”

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