Remember When a Woman First Took a Seat at the Cabinet Table?

On April 10, 1880, Frances Perkins was born — a woman who would go on to quietly reshape American life as we know it. In 1933, she became the first woman in U.S. history to serve in a presidential cabinet, appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt as Secretary of Labor during the Great Depression. But she didn’t just make history by being first — she made history by what she did with the role.

Frances Perkins was the force behind some of the most enduring labor protections in the country: the Social Security Act, minimum wage laws, overtime pay, the 40-hour work week, unemployment insurance, and sweeping child labor regulations. These weren’t just policies — they were lifelines for millions.

Her drive was shaped by witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, a horrific workplace disaster that killed 146 garment workers. That moment became her personal call to action. She once said, “The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.”

Perkins broke barriers not with bluster, but with brilliance, resilience, and unshakable purpose. She was often the only woman in the room — and she made sure the voices of the working class were heard in every policy discussion.

So today, on her birthday, remember Frances Perkins — not just as the first woman in the cabinet, but as the architect of a more just America. Many of the rights we take for granted began with her vision.

Photo credit: http://thoughtco.com/