Marion Zioncheck

Zioncheck was born Marjan Antoni Zajaczek{{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}} in Kęty, Austria-Hungary (now in Poland), the son of Clemens and Frances (née Wlodiga) Zajaccek (later Zioncheck).{{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}}{{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}} His family immigrated to the United States in 1904, and they settled in Seattle, Washington. 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 earning recognition as a left-wing leader in the Democratic Party and the Washington Commonwealth Federation. The Federation would support his election to Congress in 1932.

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 in 1936.{{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}} 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.{{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}} On August 1, Zioncheck's friend and ally, 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.{{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}} The United Press later described him as having become a "national joke".{{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}}

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| footer = (Top) Zioncheck holding his hand to his head as photos are taken of him in his hospital bed; (middle) Zioncheck holds up his hands while talking to reporters from his hospital bed; (bottom) Zioncheck wrapped in sheets and bound to a stretcher at Gallinger 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 lunacy warrant.{{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}} He was confined in Gallinger Municipal Hospital Psychopathic Ward, during which his wife returned to him.{{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}}{{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}} Doctors blamed overwork and his hectic lifestyle.{{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}}

He was later transferred to a private facility in Towson, Maryland, but escaped and fled to Washington, where he received congressional immunity.{{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}}

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.{{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 }} 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."{{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}} This was an instance of suicide by autodefenestration.

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.{{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}}{{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}}

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'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 feature film was purchased in 2007 by producer/director 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.{{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.}}

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–1949)

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• {{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}}
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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: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 members of the United States House of Representatives