Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins
4/12/1945
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This photograph shows Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins in an automobile, apparently at the White House shortly after President Roosevelt's death.
Perkins served as FDR’s Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. As Secretary of Labor, she was instrumental in creating and implementing the Social Security Act — but she was also intensely interested in the safety and rights of workers.
Perkins had a degree from Mount Holyoke College, where her coursework included touring factories. She later earned a master’s degree in social economics from Columbia University. She had been working as a factory inspector in New York at the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911. After the fire, Perkins was the secretary for the Committee on Safety. This committee led the way to 36 new labor laws, which included restrictions on child labor and working hours, and also providing compensations to workers injured on the job. Her commitment to the safety of workers continued when she became Secretary of Labor.
Perkins served as FDR’s Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. As Secretary of Labor, she was instrumental in creating and implementing the Social Security Act — but she was also intensely interested in the safety and rights of workers.
Perkins had a degree from Mount Holyoke College, where her coursework included touring factories. She later earned a master’s degree in social economics from Columbia University. She had been working as a factory inspector in New York at the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911. After the fire, Perkins was the secretary for the Committee on Safety. This committee led the way to 36 new labor laws, which included restrictions on child labor and working hours, and also providing compensations to workers injured on the job. Her commitment to the safety of workers continued when she became Secretary of Labor.
This primary source comes from the Collection HST-AVC: Audiovisual Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 199065
Full Citation: Photograph AVC-PHT-73(1912); Photograph of Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins in an automobile, apparently at the White House shortly after President Roosevelt's death; 4/12/1945; Photographs Relating to the Administration, Family, and Personal Life of Harry S. Truman, 1957 - 2004; Collection HST-AVC: Audiovisual Collection; Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, MO. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/frances-perkins, May 13, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.