Resources

Primary Sources, Archive Collections & Online Resources

This page serves as a guide to researching the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of Frances Perkins—the nation’s first female Cabinet member and the principal architect of the New Deal. Listed are collections that can be found online or in-person at research libraries. Also included are videos, articles, and books. 

The Frances Perkins Center

When the Frances Perkins Center acquired the Perkins Homestead in 2020 (now the Frances Perkins National Monument), it also acquired its contents and collections. These archives include items related to Frances Perkins and her family, such as papers, letters, photographs, furniture, artwork, personal items, books, and farm and brick-making equipment.

Protecting the significant archival materials and collections related to Frances Perkins’ life and work, as well as the history of the Perkins Family Homestead, is essential to the Center’s mission of honoring her legacy. Visit the Cultural Resources page to learn more.

For an in-depth timeline of the life and legacy of Frances Perkins, visit the Her Life page.

In 1909, Frances Perkins began a fellowship with the New York School of Philanthropy (forerunner to the Columbia University School of Social Work), investigating childhood malnutrition among schoolchildren in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. During this time, she enrolled as a master’s degree candidate in sociology and economics, earning her degree from Columbia University in 1910.

Frances Perkins was a visiting lecturer from 1957 until her death in 1965 at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the largest academic institution in the world dedicated to the intersection of work, management, and society.

Frances Perkins entered Mount Holyoke College in 1898. She was president of her class and majored in chemistry and physics, receiving her B.A. degree in 1902. The college’s collection contains correspondence, course records, writings, financial records, memorabilia, biographical information, photographs, and more.

Documentaries and Videos

Featuring interviews with David Brooks, Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar, Lawrence O’Donnell, and others, this documentary tells the story of Frances Perkins, who created the Social Security program, the federal minimum wage, and the 40-hour workweek.

Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare is available on PBS and other video streaming services.

Highlights from the Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins is available by request by filling out the form here: What We Do: Education.

Presented by the Frances Perkins Center and funded by the Maine Humanities Council, the Maine Community Foundation, Historic New England, the Newman’s Own Foundation, and the generosity of Katharine Watson.

A conversation with bestselling author Stephanie Dray, whose historical novel, Becoming Madam Secretary, delivers a stirring portrait of Frances Perkins. Thoroughly researched and poignantly written, the book allows Dray to bring Perkins vividly to life, telling the captivating, dramatic tale of how she became Secretary of Labor under FDR. Watch Now

An informative virtual presentation led by Mary Reid, Programs Coordinator at the Frances Perkins Center, with the New York State Archives. Watch Now.

Explore More Resources

The Living New Deal includes an interactive U.S. map of New Deal public works and artwork, and many more resources. 

National New Deal Preservation Association is dedicated to documenting, conserving, and advocating for the physical legacy of the 1930s New Deal.

Frankin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum with access to FRANKLIN the virtual research room that hosts over 800,000 pages of archival documents and 2,500 historical photographs, and detailed descriptions of archival collections not yet digitized. Includes Frances Perkins archives.

Frances Perkins Center Articles

The Frances Perkins I Knew, by Dr. Christopher N. Breiseth, FPC Board Chair Emeritus, 1966. Read Online (PDF)

The Kiln in the Garden: Damariscotta River Brick Making and the Traces of Maine’s Agro-Industrial Past, by Jørgen G. Clemann, FPC Summer 2011 Research Fellow, 2012. Read Online (PDF)

Can We Thank Frances Perkins for the New Deal Arts Programs?, by Sarah Peskin, FPC Board Member, 2016. Read Online (PDF)

The Force Behind Social Security: Telling Her Story, by Sarah Peskin, presented at the AHA Annual Meeting, 2026. Request Here.

A Living Legacy, by Dylan Rozalski, 2025 Summer Intern. Read Online (PDF)

Recommended Books on the Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins

The following books are available for purchase in the Welcome Center at the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine, which is open seasonally. Plan your visit. 

Select titles are available for purchase online at bookshop.org on the Frances Perkins Center storefront. 10% of sales made through bookshop.org go to the Frances Perkins Center. Or, check your local bookstore or library. 

Cover of book The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin DowneyThe Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins, by Kirstin Downey, is a comprehensive biography tracing Perkins’ journey from social reformer to Secretary of Labor. The book highlights her role in creating landmark policies such as Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage laws, and workplace safety regulations. Downey explores Perkins’ leadership style, presenting a must-read exploration of how and why Perkins slipped into historical oblivion, while successfully restoring her to her well-deserved place in American history. (Non-fiction, 2009)

Kirstin Downey is an American journalist and author known for her award‑winning historical biographies. A former reporter for The Washington Post, she covered economics, labor, and social policy for more than two decades.

Becoming Madam Secretary, by Stephanie Dray, is a captivating and well‑researched novel that follows the professional and personal life of Frances Perkins. The story moves from her time as a young social worker and student in New York City through the twelve years she served as Secretary of Labor in FDR’s administration, highlighting their historic partnership. It delivers a stirring portrait of Perkins, capturing both her struggles and successes. It is a book club favorite! (Historical fiction, 2024)

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, NPR, PBS Books, and Oprah Daily. Her book A Founding Mother was selected as a July 2026 Reese’s Book Club pick. 

Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins’s Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany, by Rebecca Brenner Graham, is a fascinating portrait of Perkins based on extensive research. It draws from thousands of letters housed in the National Archives from desperate German-Jewish refugees applying for immigration to the United States, letters that began, “Dear Miss Perkins . . .” The book adds a new dimension to Perkins’ legacy and her work to make America a safer place for refugees during WWII. (Non-fiction, 2025)

Rebecca Brenner Graham is a postdoctoral research associate at Brown University. She holds a PhD in history from American University, and her writing has been published in Politico Magazine, Time, Slate, and Ms. Like Frances Perkins (Class of 1902), Rebecca (Class of 2015) is an alum of Mount Holyoke College. She was also a Frances Perkins Center summer intern in 2014. Read her 2019 article, “No Refuge”, in Contingent Magazine.

Unlikely Heroes: Franklin Roosevelt, His Four Lieutenants, and The World They Made, by Derek Leebaert, provides new insight into the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The book focuses on the four key individuals (Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Frances Perkins, and Henry Wallace) who served at the highest level of his administration for his entire presidency, delivering a fascinating look into the personalities behind FDR’s twelve years in office. (Non-fiction, 2023)

Derek Leebaert is an award-winning author, technology executive, and historian known for his books on military history and U.S. foreign policy. He was a founding editor of the Harvard/MIT journal International Security and is a cofounder of the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

The Courage to Meddle: The Belief of Frances Perkins, by Tom Levitt, examines her record from an outsider’s perspective (Levitt is British) and asks how her policies are faring in today’s global economy. He explores her network of personal and political connections and the wider impact of America’s first female cabinet member. (Non-fiction, 2020)

Tom Levitt was a Member of the British Parliament from 1997 to 2010, representing the Labour Party. He has worked with businesses of all sizes to promote a more responsible and sustainable economy and has taught sustainability at the University of West London’s Business School. He traveled to Maine and New York to research Perkins and her life.

Frances Perkins: Champion of American Workers, by Ruth Cashin Monsell, is an engaging and accessible biography written for both young-adult and adult readers. It chronicles Perkins’ life from her early years to her historic tenure in Washington, D.C., tracing her remarkable journey and enduring legacy as a trailblazing woman. (Non-fiction, 2024)

Ruth Cashin Monsell is a teacher, author, business owner, and artist specializing in portraits (including the portrait of Frances Perkins on display at the Frances Perkins National Monument). Her work has appeared in Maine galleries and is in private collections throughout the country.

 

A Promise to All Generations: Stories & Essays about Social Security & Frances Perkins, edited by Christopher Breiseth and Kirstin Downey. Forward by Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall

Includes over 25 essays and personal narratives. “This remarkable collection of essays presents a stunning portrait of how one woman’s commitment to social justice transformed the lives of generations of workers… It offers penetrating insights into policy development, public administration, and contemporary debates over the sustainability of Social Security.” –Lynn Pasquerella, President, Mount Holyoke College, 2010-2016. (Essays, 2011)

Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter For Workers’ Rights, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kathy Caldwell. A captivating picture book biography of Frances Perkins by award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson. In 1911, 31-year-old Frances Perkins witnessed the deadly Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City, one of the worst industrial disasters in United States history. In its aftermath, she was inspired to fight for workers’ rights and safety. (Non-Fiction Picture Book, 2020)

The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America, by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Alexandra Bye. As a young girl, Frances Perkins was shy and quiet. But her grandmother encouraged her to always challenge herself, and she realized she had to make her voice heard to fight injustice. So when newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked her to be Secretary of Labor and help pull the nation out of the Great Depression, she took her grandmother’s advice, walked through that open door, and stepped forward into history. (Non-Fiction Picture Book, 2020)

Steadfast: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers’ Rights, by Jennifer J. Merz, In her third picture book, writer, illustrator, and Children’s Choice Award winner Jennifer J. Merz introduces readers to the trailblazing life and work of Frances Perkins. Featuring gorgeous, handcrafted, cut-paper illustrations, the book will delight both children and adults as they learn about the first woman ever to serve in a U.S. Presidential Cabinet as Secretary of Labor under FDR. (Non-Fiction Picture Book, 2020)

Written by Frances Perkins

The Roosevelt I Knew, by Frances Perkins, is a vivid portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt from her unique perspective and in her own words. The book details their 35-year relationship of mutual respect, trust, and admiration. 

FDR was one of the most important people in Perkins’ life as both a friend and a political ally. Serving as Secretary of Labor for the duration of his administration, she was a key member of his cabinet—often the only woman in the room—and the architect of the core New Deal policies he signed into law. Published shortly after his death, the book became a bestseller and an instant classic. (Non-fiction, 1946)

    • The Cost of a Five-Dollar Dress, article by Frances Perkins, 1933. Read online (PDF)
    • People at Work, by Frances Perkins (Non-fiction, 1934). This book is a historical and philosophical survey of American labor, tracing its evolution from the Colonial era through the Great Depression. Read online (PDF)
Explore more books about Frances Perkins and the FDR Administration
  • The New Deal: Looking Back, Moving Forward, edited by Christopher N. Breiseth and David Lembeck (Non-fiction, 2024)
  • Nothing to Fear: FDR’s Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America, by Adam Cohen (Non-fiction, 2010)
  • A Woman Unafraid: The Achievements of Frances Perkins, by Penny Colman (Non-fiction, 1993)
  • The New Deal: A 75th Anniversary Celebration, by Kathryn Flynn (Non-fiction, 2008)
  • The Great Crash 1929, by John Kenneth Galbraith (Non-fiction, 2009)
  • Talking to the Girls: Intimate and Political Essays on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, edited by Edvige Giunta and Mary Ann Trasciatti, featuring the essay “The New Deal Began with My Grandmother, Frances Perkins” by Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall (Non-fiction, 2022)
  • Fearless: A Novel of Frances Perkins and Social Security, by Jonna Higgins-Freese (Historical fiction, 2023)
  • Al Smith, Hero of the Cities: A Political Portrait Drawing on the Papers of Frances Perkins, by Matthew Josephson, Hannah Josephson, and Frances Perkins (Non-fiction, 1970)
  • Frances Perkins: First Woman Cabinet Member, by Emily Keller (Non-fiction, 2006)
  • Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945, by David Kennedy (Non-fiction, 1999)
  • Frances Perkins, First Lady of the Cabinet, by Don Lawson (Non-fiction, 1966)
  • The FDR Years: On Roosevelt and His Legacy, by William Leuchtenburg (Non-fiction, 1997)
  • Madam Secretary, Frances Perkins, by George Martin (Non-fiction, 1976)
  • The New Deal as a Triumph of Social Work: Frances Perkins and the Confluence of Early Twentieth Century Social Work with Mid-Twentieth Century Politics and Government, by Stephen Paul Miller (Non-fiction, 2016)
  • Tread the City’s Streets Again: Frances Perkins Shares Her Theology, by Donn Mitchell (Non-fiction, 2018)
  • Frances Perkins: That Woman in FDR’s Cabinet, by Lillian Holmen Mohr (Non-fiction, 1979)
  • Women and the Spirit of the New Deal The National New Deal Preservation Association (Non-fiction, 2019)
  • Frances Perkins: Champion of the New Deal, by Naomi Pasachoff (Non-fiction, 2000)
  • In the Public Interest: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Maine, A Pictorial History, by Jon Schlenker (Non-fiction, 1988)
  • Frances Perkins: A Member of the Cabinet, by Bill Severn (Non-fiction, 1976)

We are open!

There is a detour posted on River Road in Newcastle, but the Frances Perkins National Monument is still accessible. We are open Thur-Sun 10am – 2pm. Visit us before we close for the season!

Our last day is Sunday, September 28th.

Visit us