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Frances Perkins, returning from an International Labor conference in Europe, arrives in New York aboard the SS Washington.

Photograph | Photograph Number: 04695
Frances Perkins, returning from an International Labor conference in Europe, arrives in New York aboard the SS Washington.

Frances Perkins, returning from an International Labor conference in Europe, arrives in New York aboard the SS Washington.

Date
1938 July 22
Locale
United States
Photo Designation
PERSONALITIES: NON-JEWS -- Names (P)
Photo Credit
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park

About This Photograph

Biography
Frances Perkins (1882-1965), Secretary of Labor. Born in Boston, she studied social work at Mount Holyoke College. She became a social worker in New York City, where she sought the improvement of work conditions for women. As governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Perkins to be state industrial commissioner (1929-1933). When Roosevelt was elected president, Perkins was named U.S. Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to hold a position in a presidential cabinet. She remained in her post for twelve years, longer than any other secretary, fighting for such reforms as minimum wage, maximum work week, the Social Security Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She served as U.S. Civil Service commissioner from 1945 to 1953.

Keywords and Subjects

Rights and Restrictions

Photo Source
National Archives and Records Administration, College Park
Copyright: Public Domain
Provenance: Acme Newspictures
Source Record ID: 208-PU-155Q-25
 
Record last modified: 2007-03-27 00:00:00
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa30502