Leo Krzycki
Leo Krzycki was Chairman of the Socialist Party of America.Biography
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Krzycki was born on August 10, 1881. He died on January 22, 1966.Career
In 1918, Krzycki ran for the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. He lost to incumbent Edward E. Browne. In 1924, he was a candidate for the House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. He lost to incumbent John C. Schafer. Krzycki ran for the United States Senate in 1926, losing to John J. Blaine. He then ran for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1928, losing to incumbent Theodore Dammann. In 1933, he was elected Chairman of the Socialist Party of America.
Krzycki's involvement in the strike of about 1,500 people against the Republic Steel plant was criticized, especially 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. Krzycki was also a key figure in organizing the 1937 strike against Ford Motor Company, and shares a historic image leading the strikers with labor leaders Richard Frankensteen and Ed Hall.
