The following biographical information is extracted from press releases and newspaper stories in the MFSN and Department of Public Instruction files of the Molnar Papers. Unfortunately, these sources do not include some basic facts such as his date and place of birth. Alex Molnar's educational background includes a B.A. in history, political science, and education from North Park College; an M.A. in history from Northern Illinois University; another M.A. in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; and a Ph.D. in urban education. He also holds a specialist's certificate in Education Administration from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
For many years, Molnar was a high school social studies teacher in the Chicago area. From 1966 to 1969 he was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, completing his Ph.D. in Urban Education in 1969. In 1970 Molnar joined the educational faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, teaching in both the graduate and undergraduate programs. In addition, he consulted extensively with school districts in Wisconsin on curriculum design and implementation, staff development, classroom management, and student motivation. Molnar has also been a frequent presenter at professional and scholarly meetings and has served on the board of directors of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. He is also a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and has practiced and lectured on helping families with problems. In 1993 Molnar was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, losing in the primary in a slate of ten candidates.
With his wife, Barbara Lindquist, Molnar is the co-author of Changing Problem Behavior in School. He has also been a frequent guest on Wisconsin Public Radio on educational topics, and during the early 1990s he hosted his own call-in program, Alex Molnar on Education, on Wisconsin Public Radio.
On August 23, 1990 Molnar gained national attention after his open letter to President George H.W. Bush opposing the military build-up in the Persian Gulf appeared on the op-ed page of the New York Times. The letter concerned the military service of his son, Chris, a 21-year-old Marine. As the result of the flood of telephone calls and letters he received from other military families and opponents of the war, Molnar became the founder and co-chair of a national organization known as the Military Families Support Network (MFSN). Judy Davenport of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was the other co-chair. MFSN was formed with support from the Fund for New Priorities, an educational charity that reproduced and distributed Molnar's letter. On October 10, 1990 the Fund sponsored a press conference in Washington, D.C. and announced the formation of MFSN. On November 1, 1990 MFSN opened its national office in Milwaukee. MFSN consistently articulated a position that distinguished it from other national opponents of the war by indicating support for the military and opposition to the policies that led to the Gulf War. After the war began the network lobbied for its quick end and it provided a counseling referral service for families. Despite its limited funding MFSN achieved a high national profile because of its effective use of the media, and Molnar was frequently interviewed on national news programs. As a result, MFSN became one of the most prominent and effective voices opposing the war. MFSN eventually grew to include over 6000 members in 46 states.
At its April 1991 board meeting MFSN voted to move its national office to Washington, D.C., where it shared quarters with the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. Alex Molnar remained in Milwaukee, and Adelita Medina became the executive director and president. In Washington, D.C. the organization continued to lobby in behalf of the health interests of Gulf War veterans, particularly the establishment of a national veterans drug registry. Because of lack of funding the national office closed in February 1992. Thereafter the organization continued to function solely through its newsletter, Newswire, which was published in Milwaukee. In October of 1992, Alex Molnar resigned from his position as vice-president to assume the status of volunteer and MFSN archivist. The last known issue of Newswire is dated Fall 1992.
