Marion A. Zioncheck was born in 1901 in Poland, and arrived in Seattle with his parents four years later. He attended the University of Washington and earned a law degree while making a name for himself as a left-wing leader in the United States Democratic Party and Washington Commonwealth Federation (WCF), which supported his election to Congress in 1932.
As a Member of Congress, Zioncheck was known mostly for drunken escapades which included dancing in fountains and driving on the White House lawn. Beset by the press and by critics of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal policies, which he ardently championed, Zioncheck became depressed and hinted that he might not seek reelection in 1936.
His friend and ally, King County Prosecutor Warren G. Magnuson, took him at his word and filed to run for Zioncheck's seat on August 1. This was the last straw for the embattled Congressman.
On August 8, 1936, Zioncheck completed his will and a farewell note declaring "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." He then leapt from the window of his office on the 5th floor of the Arctic Club Building at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle. His body struck the pavement directly in front of a car occupied by his wife, Rubeye Louise Nix.
The suicide of the two-term Congressman opened his 1st District seat to a bid by King County Prosecutor Warren G. Magnuson (1905-1989), who was elected the following November.
He is buried in Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery, Seattle, King County, Washington.
