This Day in History…1933

Do you know who was the first woman appointed to a president’s cabinet? That distinction goes to Frances Perkins who was appointed Secretary of Labor on March 4, 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1911 in New York City, she had witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire which left one hundred twenty-six mostly immigrant women, dead. As a sociologist and workers-rights advocate, this tragedy motivated her to improve working conditions for all workers. Secretary Perkins was a respected and effective member of FDR’s cabinet, helping with the development of his New Deal initiatives and Social Security.

Secretary Perkins held her position for twelve years, the longest tenure on record. After she left public service in 1952 she continued to teach at Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial Relations. In April of 1980 on the 100th anniversary of her birth, the recently completed labor headquarters in Washington, DC was officially renamed the Frances Perkins Building.

It was an honor to work in that building during my tenure with the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau. Thank you, Secretary Perkins for your long history of advocacy. Thank you also for the many programs and policies that still positively impact our workforce today.