William J. Pennock
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March 10, 1915
William J. Pennock | |
|---|---|
 Pennock, c. 1939 | |
| Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 35th district | |
| In office January 9, 1939 – January 13, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Jonathan Pennock March 10, 1915 Jamestown, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 2, 1953 (aged 38) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Communist (secretly) Progressive (1948) |
| Spouse | Louise |
| Children | Peter |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
William Jonathan Pennock[1] (March 10, 1915 – August 2, 1953)[2] was an American activist and politician who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1939 to 1947,[3] as executive secretary of the Washington Pension Union from 1938[4] to 1944,[5] and as president of the WPU from 1944[6] until his death in 1953.[7]
Pennock was elected as a Democrat with the support of the Washington Commonwealth Federation,[8] but was secretly a member of the Communist Party,[9][10][11][12] a fact which came to light during the Canwell Committee hearings in 1948.[13] He was later prosecuted under the Smith Act as part of the "Seattle Seven," and committed suicide by poisoning, on August 2, 1953, aged 38.[5][14] He was married with a son.[15]
