Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins was an American social reformer and U.S. secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Cabinet.
Social Security Act: A 1935 U.S. law establishing federal old-age benefits and programs for unemployment compensation and public assistance. Perkins made enactment of this landmark social insurance law a central priority as labor secretary.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. Roosevelt appointed Perkins labor secretary and backed her continued service through his presidency.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire: A 1911 New York City factory fire that killed 146 garment workers, mostly young immigrant women. Perkins witnessed the fire's aftermath, an experience that strengthened her commitment to workplace safety.
United States Department of Labor: A federal executive department responsible for labor policy, workplace conditions, and employment-related administration. Perkins led this department for twelve years, using its agencies to develop and enforce labor policy.
Wagner–Peyser Act: A 1933 U.S. law establishing a federal-state system of public employment offices. It illustrates a New Deal employment-policy tool distinct from Perkins's wage, safety, and social insurance reforms.
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: A U.S. law establishing a federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and restrictions on child labor. Perkins pressed for the law that established federal wage and hour protections.
Mary Harriman Rumsey: An American philanthropist and social reformer who founded the Junior League of the City of New York. Rumsey supported the Consumers' League work that brought Perkins into reform networks.
National Consumers League: An American organization founded in 1899 to promote consumer responsibility and improve labor conditions. Perkins's work with the League helped launch her career as a labor reformer.
National Labor Relations Board: An independent U.S. federal agency that administers and enforces much of the National Labor Relations Act. Its work formed part of the New Deal labor-policy landscape during Perkins's tenure.
National Industrial Recovery Act: A 1933 U.S. law that authorized industry codes on wages, hours, and competition before being struck down in 1935. Its short-lived labor standards show an early New Deal approach that gave way to more durable legislation.