View source for Marion Zioncheck

{{short description|American politician (1900–1936)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{infobox officeholder
| name               = Marion Zioncheck
| image              = Marion A. Zioncheck 1927.jpg
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Zioncheck {{circa}} 1927
| state              = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| district           = {{ushr|WA|1|1st}}
| term_start         = March 4, 1933
| term_end           = August 7, 1936
| predecessor        = [[Ralph Horr]]
| successor          = [[Warren Magnuson]]
| birth_name         = Marjan Antoni Zajaczek
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1900|12|5}}<!--corrected in the Biographical Directory from 1901 in 2022-->
| birth_place        = [[Kęty]], [[Austria-Hungary]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1936|8|7|1900|12|5}}
| death_place        = [[Seattle, Washington]], U.S.
| party              = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| father             = Clemens Zajaczek
| mother             = Frances Wlodyga
| spouse             = {{marriage|Rubye Louise Nix|1936}}
| children           = 
| relatives          = 
| alma_mater         = [[University of Washington]]<br>[[University of Washington School of Law]]
| occupation         = {{Hlist|Lawyer|Politician}}
}}
'''Marion Anthony Zioncheck''' (born  '''Marjan Antoni Zajaczek'''; December 5, 1900 – August 7, 1936) was an American politician who served as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1933 until his death. He represented {{ushr|Washington|1|}} as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].

Having struggled with his [[mental health]] during his service in Congress, Zioncheck killed himself by [[autodefenestration]] in August 1936.

==Early life==
[[File:Zioncheck Parents.jpg|thumb|left|Zioncheck's parents at the time they were married]]
Zioncheck was born Marjan Antoni Zajaczek<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYFJAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA20523|title=Survey of Conditions of the Indians in the United States|work=United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs|year=1940|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref> in [[Kęty]], [[Austria-Hungary]] (now in [[Poland]]), the son of Clemens and Frances (née Wlodiga) Zajaccek (later Zioncheck).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.washingtonhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/29-3-fall-1.pdf|title=The Meteoric Rise and Fall of Seattle's Marion Zioncheck|magazine=Columbia Magazine|date=Fall 2015|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89J3-NJ2R|title=Certificate of Death, Marion A. Zioncheck|work=Washington State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics|date=1936-08-11|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref> His family immigrated to the United States in 1904, and they settled in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. He attended the [[University of Washington]] where in 1927 he became president of the student government ([[Associated Students of the University of Washington|ASUW]]).

He also earned a law degree from the University of Washington while earning recognition as a [[left-wing]] leader in the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and the [[Washington Commonwealth Federation]]. The Federation would support his [[1932 United States House of Representatives elections|election to Congress in 1932]].<ref name="historylink"/>

== Congress ==
As a U.S. Representative, Zioncheck was known mostly for ardently championing  [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] policies. But his tireless work on 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 stated that he would not seek reelection to a third term [[1936 United States House of Representatives elections|in 1936]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8170649/out_of_picture/|title=Out of Picture|work=Middletown Times Herald|location=Middletown, New York|date=3 Aug 1936|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Marion and Rubye Zioncheck.jpeg|thumb|left|Marion and Rubye]]

In his diary entry for April 30, 1936, Secretary of the Interior [[Harold L. Ickes]] recounted how Zioncheck had asked him to officiate at a wedding with his fiancée, Rubye Louise Nix. Ickes demurred, saying that he had no authority to do so; he was aware of Zioncheck's reputation and simply did not want to get involved. Ultimately, Zioncheck went to [[Annapolis, Maryland]] for the wedding and [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]] for his honeymoon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8167207/students_stone_us_congressman/|title=Students Stone U.S. Congressman|work=The Ottawa Journal|date=14 May 1936|page=23|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref> On August 1, Zioncheck's friend and ally, [[King County, Washington|King County]] Prosecutor [[Warren Magnuson]], took him at his word regarding his retirement plans and filed to run for Zioncheck's House seat.

Zioncheck's antics attracted attention.<ref name="historylink">{{cite web |title=Congressman Marion Zioncheck commits suicide on August 7, 1936. |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/5528 |website=www.historylink.org |publisher=The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State |access-date=2 October 2022}}</ref> The [[United Press]] later described him as having become a "national joke".<ref>{{cite web |title=Suicide Leap Ends Career of Rep. Zioncheck |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HT19360808.2.15&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |via=California Digital Newspaper Collection (cdnc.ucr.edu)  |publisher=Heraldsburg Tribune |agency=United Press |access-date=2 October 2022 |date=8 August 1936}}</ref>

===Stay at mental hospital===
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}}
On May 30, 1936, Zioncheck's wife left him after an argument during a party at their apartment. On June 1, he became frantic and searched Washington, D.C. for her. He was arrested later that day on a [[Lunatic|lunacy]] warrant.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8169782/rep_zioncheck_is_arrested_on_lunacy/|title=Rep. Zioncheck Is Arrested On Lunacy Charge|work=The Evening Times|location=Sayre, Pennsylvania|date=1 Jun 1936|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref> He was confined in [[Gallinger Municipal Hospital Psychopathic Ward]], during which his wife returned to him.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yNVXAAAAIBAJ&dq=zioncheck&pg=3642%2C364773|title=Zioncheck Sick Man, Opines Psychiatrist|via=Google News Archive Search|date=June 2, 1936|publisher=Spokane Daily Chronicle|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8168639/zionchecks_last_stand/|title=Zioncheck's Last Stand?|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|location=Fresno, California|date=3 Jun 1936|page=2|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref> Doctors blamed overwork and his hectic lifestyle.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8170336/overwork_is_blamed_by_doctors_for/|title="Over-Work" Is Blamed by Doctors for Odd Conduct Of Rep. Marion Zioncheck|work=The Evening News|location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|date=2 Jun 1936|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref>

He was later transferred to a private facility in [[Towson, Maryland]], but escaped and fled to Washington, where he received [[congressional immunity]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8170554/zioncheck_again/|title=Zioncheck Again|work=The Daily Republican|location=Monongahela, Pennsylvania|date=2 Jul 1936|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref>

===Suicide===
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/century/life19.shtml |title=Turbulent years churned out lasting leaders |last=Connelly |first=Joel |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=November 19, 1999 |accessdate=April 10, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He struck the pavement directly in front of a car occupied by his wife. A note was found; it read, "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."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8168757/jumped_quickly/|title=Rep. Zioncheck is Killed in Dive From Five-Story Window: Jumped Quickly|work=Corsicana Daily Sun|location=Corsicana, Texas|date=8 Aug 1936|pages=1, 7|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref> This was an instance of [[suicide]] by [[autodefenestration]].<ref name="historylink"/>

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 Memorial Park]] in Seattle.

His widow, as Rubye Nix Wilson, would later become a well-known artist, and was exhibited at the [[Museum of Modern Art]] and the [[Kennedy Center]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4352/installation_images/47569|title=Installation view of work by Ruby Nix Wilson in the PS1 exhibition "Special Projects (Winter 1984)"|work=MoMA|year=1984|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/579408071/|title=Artist Rubye Wilson dead at 77|work=Tucson Citizen|date=1992-09-18|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Zioncheck is the subject of an unpublished book-length poem by [[Grant Cogswell]], entitled ''Ode to Congressman Marion Zioncheck''. The story of Zioncheck, and Cogswell's obsession with him, is detailed in [[Phil Campbell (writer)|Phil Campbell]]'s 2005 book ''Zioncheck for President: A True Story of Idealism and Madness in American Politics'' (Nation Books; {{ISBN|1-56025-750-4}}). The option to make Campbell's book into a [[Grassroots (film)|feature film]] was purchased in 2007 by [[Stephen Gyllenhaal]].

''The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck'', released by indie musician [[Left at London]] on her 2021 album ''[[T.I.A.P.F.Y.H.]]'', recounts the story of Zioncheck's life.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Milne, Stefan |date=June 22, 2021 |title=Left at London's New Album Is Radiantly Eclectic |work=Seattle Met |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/arts-and-culture/2021/06/left-at-london-new-album-tiapfyh-is-radiantly-eclectic-seattle-music |access-date=November 12, 2021 |quote=One of its songs, called "The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck", is about the local 1930s congressman who fought for the New Deal, spent time in sanitariums, and died by suicide.}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)]]
* [[List of United States representatives from Washington]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
*{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/01/29/the-hellion-of-harvard-hall/a8decc1c-e602-4758-a4d2-81953dd40a48/ |title=THE HELLION OF HARVARD HALL |author=Sarah Booth Conroy |date=29 January 1989 |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=4 January 2017}}
*{{CongBio|Z000011}}
*[https://spl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15015coll4/id/3673/ Marion A. Zioncheck's suicide note, August 9, 1936]

{{S-start}}
{{S-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box
| state=Washington
| district=1
| before=[[Ralph Horr]]
| after=[[Warren Magnuson]]
| years=March 4, 1933-August 7, 1936
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zioncheck, Marion}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1936 deaths]]
[[Category:1936 suicides]]
[[Category:Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States]]
[[Category:University of Washington alumni]]
[[Category:American politicians of Polish descent]]
[[Category:American politicians who died by suicide]]
[[Category:Warren Magnuson]]
[[Category:Suicides by jumping in the United States]]
[[Category:Suicides in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:University of Washington School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]
[[Category:20th-century Washington (state) politicians]]