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“The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.” — Frances PerkinsHere celebrating the 4th of July with her family: husband Paul Wilson, “Nanny Joanie”, Frances Perkins, and daughter Susanna, circa 1922, at the Perkins family homestead in Newcastle, Maine. The board and staff of the Frances Perkins Center wish you a happy 4th of July celebration. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt |
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FRANCES PERKINS — THE FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE IN A PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
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Secretary of Labor under Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945, Frances Perkins is widely recognized as a driving force behind the New Deal, most notably for the policies that created Social Security, the forty-hour work week, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, workplace safety standards, and a ban on child labor.
Perkins’s legacy is everywhere today. Just last year, a record 48 million people found economic refuge through state unemployment insurance programs, up from just 5 million the year before the pandemic. It was a vital lifeline, allowing people who had lost their jobs to feed their families and heat their homes when the world’s economy shut down reports long-time Washington Post journalist and board member Kirstin Downey. Use our resources link to learn more. The Frances Perkins Center honors her legacy by sharing her commitment to the principle that government should provide all its people with the best possible life, and by preserving the place that shaped her character, The Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark. We convene leaders and future leaders in public policy, labor and related fields to generate creative solutions to today’s social and economic problems and teaches students of all ages about a remarkable woman whose work continues to improve the lives of ordinary Americans. |
Frances Perkins DocumentariesHighlights from the Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins A 30-minute documentary created by the Frances Perkins Center to accompany its traveling exhibit. Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare Access Summoned on a variety of media platforms. |
| FRANCES PERKINS NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK |
| The Frances Perkins Homestead, a fifty-seven-acre National Historic Landmark, a saltwater farm in the nation’s northeast corner, is a tangible reminder that America is intended to be a vast homestead for all its people, a lively household for one and all, and that concern for the common good should govern our life together. Reflecting on Frances Perkins’ commitment to the principle that “government should provide all its people with the best possible life,” we believe that her Homestead and our idea of the nation as “homestead for all” can help us bolster important American values where the strength of our nation resides in its diversity. |