Marion Zioncheck
Encyclopedia
Marion Anthony Zioncheck (December 5, 1901 – August 7, 1936), an American politician, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
from 1933 until his death in 1936. He represented as a Democrat.
Zioncheck was born in Kęty
, Poland, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and arrived in Seattle
, Washington with his parents four years later. He attended the University of Washington
where in 1927 he became president of the student government (ASUW
). He also earned a law
degree from the University of Washington while making a name for himself as a left-wing leader in the Democratic Party and the Washington Commonwealth Federation, which supported his election to Congress in the 1932 election.
policies. But his tireless work in behalf of the New Deal often was overshadowed by his many personal escapades, which included dancing in fountains and driving on the White House
lawn. Beset by the press and by critics of Roosevelt's policies, Zioncheck became depressed and hinted that he might not seek reelection to a third term in 1936. In his diary entry for April 30, 1936, Secretary of the Interior
Harold Ickes
recounted how Zioncheck had asked him to officiate in a marriage with his fiancee, Miss Nix. Ickes demurred, saying that he had no authority to do so. Ickes was aware of Zioncheck's reputation and simply did not want to get involved. Ultimately, Zioncheck went to Annapolis, Maryland
for the marriage. On August 1, Zioncheck's friend and ally, King County
Prosecutor Warren G. Magnuson
, took him at his word and filed to run for Zioncheck's seat.
To this day, some members of Zioncheck's family believe that he was murdered—pushed out the window—and that the note left was not written by him. A researcher studied body positions of people who jumped from high places versus those that were pushed. He concluded that Zioncheck was pushed because of his arms flailing in the air.
The Zioncheck relatives who believe in murder also point to several run-ins that he had with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
; once Zioncheck sent a truckload of manure to Hoover's front steps and had it dumped. The relatives believe Hoover was indirectly responsible.
Zioncheck was mourned at his early death; both the University of Washington and Boeing closed down for half a day in his honor. He is buried in Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery in Seattle.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1933 until his death in 1936. He represented as a Democrat.
Zioncheck was born in Kęty
Kety
Kęty is a town in Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland with 19,175 inhabitants .The town dates its earliest document from 1277 when Polish prince of Opole Władysław confirmed sale of the settlement and adoption of Lviv city rights. The town's name comes from the word kąt...
, Poland, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and arrived in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington with his parents four years later. He attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
where in 1927 he became president of the student government (ASUW
Associated Students of the University of Washington
The Associated Students of the University of Washington is one of two Student Governments on campus at the University of Washington, the other being the Graduate and Professional Student Senate...
). He also earned a law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
degree from the University of Washington while making a name for himself as a left-wing leader in the Democratic Party and the Washington Commonwealth Federation, which supported his election to Congress in the 1932 election.
Congress
As a U.S. Representative, Zioncheck was known mostly for ardently championing Franklin Roosevelt's New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
policies. But his tireless work in behalf of the New Deal often was overshadowed by his many personal escapades, which included dancing in fountains and driving on the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
lawn. Beset by the press and by critics of Roosevelt's policies, Zioncheck became depressed and hinted that he might not seek reelection to a third term in 1936. In his diary entry for April 30, 1936, Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
Harold Ickes
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest serving Cabinet member in U.S. history next to James Wilson. Ickes...
recounted how Zioncheck had asked him to officiate in a marriage with his fiancee, Miss Nix. Ickes demurred, saying that he had no authority to do so. Ickes was aware of Zioncheck's reputation and simply did not want to get involved. Ultimately, Zioncheck went to Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
for the marriage. On August 1, Zioncheck's friend and ally, King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
Prosecutor Warren G. Magnuson
Warren G. Magnuson
Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson was a United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member of the body...
, took him at his word and filed to run for Zioncheck's seat.
Death
Zioncheck died after plummeting to the sidewalk from a window of his office on the fifth floor of the Arctic Building, at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle, on August 7, 1936. He struck the pavement directly in front of a car occupied by his wife, Rubye Louise Nix. A note was found; it read (ungrammatically, perhaps from being hastily written), My only hope in life was to improve the condition of an unfair economic system that held no promise to those that all the wealth of even a decent chance to survive let alone live.To this day, some members of Zioncheck's family believe that he was murdered—pushed out the window—and that the note left was not written by him. A researcher studied body positions of people who jumped from high places versus those that were pushed. He concluded that Zioncheck was pushed because of his arms flailing in the air.
The Zioncheck relatives who believe in murder also point to several run-ins that he had with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
; once Zioncheck sent a truckload of manure to Hoover's front steps and had it dumped. The relatives believe Hoover was indirectly responsible.
Zioncheck was mourned at his early death; both the University of Washington and Boeing closed down for half a day in his honor. He is buried in Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery in Seattle.