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Social Security Pioneers, Women's History Month, Frances Perkins Edition:
#SocialSecurityat90
#StrongerTogether
Frances Perkins (1880-1965) was a pivotal figure in American history, most notably serving as the U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945. She was the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the United States and played a crucial role in shaping the New Deal legislation that redefined the relationship between the government and its citizens.
Her path to becoming a leading advocate for workers' rights was shaped by several key early experiences.
Born in Boston and raised in a family with a sense of social duty, Perkins attended Mount Holyoke College.
Perkins served on many boards and commissions.
Perkins witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911. 146 workers, mostly young women, perished. She later described it as "the day the New Deal was born".
As a condition for accepting the role as Secretary of Labor, she outlined for #FDR a set of eight policy priorities. All but universal healthcare were accomplished.
More Social Security Women's history: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-security-pioneers-women-guy-clinch