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Portrait of Frances Perkins sitting at her desk.

Photograph | Photograph Number: 04696
Portrait of Frances Perkins sitting at her desk. Frances Perkins (1882-1965). As President , Roosevelt appointed her U.S. Secretary of Labor--the first appointment of a woman to the U.S. cabinet. Her appointment was bitterly criticized by business, political and labor leaders. As Secretary of Labor she promoted adoption of the Social Security Act, advocated higher wages and helped standardize state industrial legislation. After she resigned, she served from (1946-52) as a member of the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Portrait of Frances Perkins sitting at her desk.

Frances Perkins (1882-1965). As President , Roosevelt appointed her U.S. Secretary of Labor--the first appointment of a woman to the U.S. cabinet. Her appointment was bitterly criticized by business, political and labor leaders. As Secretary of Labor she promoted adoption of the Social Security Act, advocated higher wages and helped standardize state industrial legislation. After she resigned, she served from (1946-52) as a member of the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Date
Circa 1938
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: Harris and Ewing
Source Record ID: 208-PU-155Q-15
 
Record last modified: 2007-03-27 00:00:00
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa30503