Leo Krzycki | |
|---|---|
 Krzyckic. 1922 | |
| National Chairman of the Socialist Party of America | |
| In office October 29, 1933 – July 16, 1936 | |
| Preceded by | Morris Hillquit |
| Succeeded by | Norman Thomas |
| Vice President of theAmalgamated Clothing Workers of America | |
| In office 1920–1947 | |
| Member of theMilwaukee Common Council | |
| In office April 17, 1912 – April 18, 1916 | |
| Personal details | |
| Pronunciation | k-ZHIT-ski |
| Born | Leo C. Krzycki (1881-08-10)August 10, 1881 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 1966(1966-01-22) (aged 84) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Spouse | |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Martin Krzycki, Katherine Wobszal |
| Occupation | Union leader, Socialist leader, activist |
| Awards | Order of Polonia Restituta (1946) |
Leo Krzycki (also known as Leon Krzycki inPolish; August 10, 1881 – January 22, 1966) was an American socialist and labor leader of Polish descent who served on theMilwaukee Common Council from 1912 to 1916,[1] as vice president of theAmalgamated Clothing Workers of America from 1920[2] to 1947,[3] and as national chairman of theSocialist Party of America from 1933[4] to 1936.[5]
Leo C. Krzycki was born on August 10, 1881,[6][7] inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, to Martin Krzycki and Katherine Wobszal.[8] He was involved with the labor movement from a young age, leading an unsuccessfullithographers' strike at 15 which keft him blacklisted by the company. He spent the next several years working odd jobs and became radicalized, returning to Milwaukee and becoming vice president of the Lithographic Press Feeders Union in 1904.[1]
Krzycki was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 1912,[1] serving four years before running unsuccessfully forcity comptroller in 1916.[9] Thereafter, he served as anundersheriff.
In1918, Krzycki ran forCongress inWisconsin's 8th congressional district, losing to incumbentEdward E. Browne. In1924, he ran again in the4th district, losing to incumbentJohn C. Schafer.[10] He then ran forU.S. Senate in1926, losing toJohn J. Blaine, and forSecretary of State of Wisconsin in 1928, losing to incumbentTheodore Dammann.
Krzycki was involved in the1926 Passaic textile strike, and appeared inthe silent film released the same year which dramatized the events surrounding the strike.[11]
On October 29, 1933,[4] Krzycki was elected chairman of the national executive board of the Socialist Party of America, succeeding the lately deceasedMorris Hillquit.[6] He held the post until 1936, when he left the party to joinSidney Hillman in theAmerican Labor Party.[12] His opponents in theOld Guard faction includedLouis Waldman and Charles Rozmarek.[13]
Krzycki's involvement in the 1937Little Steel strike was criticized, especially regarding the "march" forward that the strikers took towards the plant gates. One first-hand account stated that he knew beforehand that the police captain was a "sadist" and stayed on-stage, trying in vain to dissuade the protests from going forward.[14] Krzycki was also a key figure in organizing the1937 strike against Ford Motor Company, and shares a historic image leading the strikers with labor leadersRichard Frankensteen and Ed Hall.[15]
In the wake of theNazi invasion of Poland in September 1939, many pro-Polish organizations formed in the UK and USA. In late 1941, the Soviets formed an All Slav Congress. In April 1942, Krzycki accepted the presidency of an American Slav Congress (ASC), allegedly as "front man" forBoleslaw Gebert of the Soviet's All Slav Congress. After news of the 1940Katyn Massacre emerged, Krzycki's ASC broke with the Polish government in exile in London and stood with the Soviets, their Committee of Polish Patriots (a precursor to the post-war, Soviet-backed Polish government), and the Soviet-proposed changes to Poland's borders to thewest andeast. Both theFBI andOSS (and then theCIA) followed ASC activities, which was later questioned before Congress, leading to Krzycki's resignation and the organization's dissolution by 1951.[16][17]
In 1944, Krzycki, by then "a noted one-time socialist leader," also became president of the American Polish Labor Council (APLC), appended to theCIO PAC to supportFranklin Delano Roosevelt's 1944 presidential campaign.[17]
In 1909, Krzycki married Anna Kadau, a neighbor; they had three children.[6][8] His daughter named her sonNorman Thomas.[18]
Krzycki was a member of theAmerican Committee for Protection of Foreign Born.[19][20]
Leo Krzycki died age 84 on January 22, 1966, in Milwaukee.[6][8]
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