Frances Perkins

Date of Birth: April 10, 1880

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: May 14, 1965

Biography

Frances Perkins, born Fannie Coralie Perkins, was a groundbreaking American sociologist and workers-rights advocate who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest tenure in that position. She was the first woman ever appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Perkins was educated at Mount Holyoke College and Columbia University. Her career in public service began in New York, where she held various positions related to social work and labor issues, including serving as the Industrial Commissioner of New York State. As Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she was a principal architect of the New Deal, and she played a key role in the creation of Social Security, unemployment insurance, and federal laws regulating child labor. Frances Perkins’s contributions have left an enduring legacy on American labor law and social welfare policies.

5 Interesting Facts about Frances Perkins

1. Frances Perkins was the first woman ever appointed to the U.S. Cabinet.

2. She witnessed the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, which profoundly influenced her career in labor reform.

3. Perkins played a significant role in drafting the Social Security Act of 1935.

4. She was a major advocate for the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established minimum wage and maximum working hours.

5. Perkins changed her name from Fannie Coralie Perkins to Frances Perkins after converting to the Episcopal Church in her early 20s.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Frances Perkins

1. “The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.”

2. “Most of man’s problems upon this planet, in the long history of the race, have been met and solved either partially or as a whole by experiment based on common sense and carried out with courage.”

3. “I came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen.”

4. “The door might not be open to a woman, but when it is, she should be ready to walk through it.”

5. “I promise to use what brains I have to meet problems with intelligence and courage.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Frances Perkins’s net worth was modest throughout her life, as she spent most of her career in public service. There is no record of her achieving significant personal wealth.