Frances Perkins US Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 and the first woman in the US Cabinet Date of Birth: 10.04.1880 Country: USA

Biography of Frances Perkins

Frances Perkins, born Fannie Coralie Perkins on April 10, 1880, in Boston, Massachusetts, was the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the United States. She grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she attended Classical High School. In 1902, she graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics. Perkins continued her education at Columbia University, earning a master's degree in political science in 1910.

During her career, Perkins held various positions, including teaching chemistry at Ferry Hall School in Lake Forest, Illinois, from 1904 to 1906. In 1918, she studied economics and sociology at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Perkins gained recognition as the head of the New York Consumers League in 1910.

In 1913, Perkins married Paul Caldwell Wilson, but she chose to keep her maiden name. The couple had a daughter named Susanna. Both Perkins' husband and daughter were described as having "manic-depressive symptoms." Wilson frequently sought treatment in psychiatric institutions, leaving Perkins as the sole provider for her family.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Perkins as the Secretary of Labor, a position she held for 12 years. She became the longest-serving Secretary of Labor in American history. Perkins played a crucial role in advocating for Roosevelt's economic policies, known as the New Deal. As the Secretary of Labor, she championed various aspects of the New Deal, including programs for unemployment relief, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and state control of industrial production. Perkins also fought for laws against child labor and worked towards improving working conditions and reducing workplace accidents.

Her most significant contribution came in 1934 when she chaired the Committee on Economic Security, which led to the signing of the Social Security Act. On the day the bill was signed, Perkins' husband escaped from a psychiatric hospital.

In 1945, President Harry Truman offered Perkins a position on the United States Civil Service Commission, where she served until 1952 when her husband passed away. Following his death, she resigned and published her memoir about her time in the Roosevelt administration titled "The Roosevelt I Knew." After her government career, Perkins continued to teach and lecture until her death in 1965 at the age of 85. She is buried in Newcastle Cemetery.