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Covert , Bryce  (2010). Frances Perkins: The Force Behind Social Security. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from http://rooseveltinstitute.org/frances-perkins-force-behind-social-security/.

Frances Perkins Biography.com. (2017). Retrieved September 20, 2017, from https://www.biography.com/people/frances-perkins-9437840.

Frances Perkins Center. (2017). Retrieved September 20, 2017, from http://francesperkinscenter.org/life-new/.

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The Social Security Act was signed into law by the President on August 14, 1935. The Act included a system of old age pensions, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation and aid to the needy and disabled ("Frances Perkins Center", 2017).

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was enacted. This established a minimum wage, maximum work hours and banned child labor ("Frances Perkins Center", 2017).

Social Security lives on as a her gift to the American people (Covert , 2010).

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Frances visited mills along the Connecticut River for one of her courses at Mount Holyoke College. She remembers the experience by saying, “From the time I was in college I was horrified at the work that many women and children had to do in factories. There were absolutely no effective laws that regulated the number of hours they were permitted to work. There were no provisions which guarded their health nor adequately looked after their compensation in case of injury." ("Frances Perkins Center", 2017)

After graduation Frances worked at Chicago Commons and Hull House, two settlement houses that empowered their communities through social programs.

In 1910, she became the Executive Secretary of the New York City Consumers League.

On March 25, 1911, Frances witnessed a fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. In all, 146 workers died from the fire. The doors had been previously locked to prevent workers from taking breaks. This event was very impactful on her future work. She recognized it as, "The day the New Deal was Born." ("Frances Perkins Center", 2017)

She later became Commissioner of Labor for the State of New York, under Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt.

When President Roosevelt took office he invited Frances to be his Secretary of Labor.

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Frances Perkins was born in Boston in 1880.

Fanny was raised with a deep appreciation of history and pride in her patriot ancestry ("Frances Perkins Center", 2017).

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First woman to hold a U.S. cabinet position.

Helped in the creation of the New Deal and Social Security programs.

Perkins fought for laws to set minimum wages, pensions, unemployment insurance, restrictions on child labor practices, and contributed to the creation of the Social Security system ("Frances Perkins Biography.com", 2017).