Kirstin Downey

Frances Perkins was a trailblazer, as she was the first woman ever to be named to a cabinet post, that of Secretary of Labor in the FDR administration. She had worked for FDR when he was governor of New York in a similar role, running the state industrial commission. Greatly affected by the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, she devoted her life to a progressive agenda. When Roosevelt became President and approached her about running the Labor Department, she reeled off a list of things she would want to work on: a forty-hour workweek, minimum wage, worker's compensation, unemployment compensation, a federal law banning child labor, Social Security, revitalized public employment service and national health insurance. If Roosevelt wasn't willing to back her on these items, she was not interested in the role. But fortunately for us, he agreed to support her, and she made history, fulfilling most of these agenda items. These accomplishments are made more extraordinary by the fact that her husband was seriously mentally ill, and was in and out of institutions his whole life. Her daughter seemed to inherit her father's mental illness, and so Frances, living on a small government salary, had to provide for them while performing these groundbreaking tasks.She handled immigration during WWII, working to bring as many refugees over from Europe, at a time when most US citizens were isolationist. Even in 'retirement', she worked for the Civil Service Commission during the Red Scare, and so was smack in the middle of the paranoia that swept the country.

I enjoyed the book very much, even though I had to sometimes plow my way through its density. It could be said that Frances had a full life, and I often used my iPad to reference the cast of characters she encountered. I have a couple of impressions from the book. First, the blatant discrimination she had to endure was, frankly, shocking, even given the times. Entering and then exiting the office of Sec'y of Labor, she was met with a cold shoulder from her predecessor and successor. Her predecessor, in particular, seemed surprised that she was actually going to attempt to work at the job, and hadn't planned on leaving the office until Frances, in a sense, took over. Throughout her career, she was shunned by her all-male colleagues (for the most past). The key to her success was that she had Roosevelt's ear.

Another impression: It seems that Roosevelt took credit for most of her ideas. She disappeared from the history books, and it became Roosevelt's New Deal. He sometimes comes across as a typical politician, swaying with the current winds. This is not how we normally think about Roosevelt, and this book helped me understand the nuances of his personality.

This is a book about a woman who, from her earliest years, had an agenda that she was compelled to fulfill. At the end, she received very little credit for her accomplishments, and sadly, was estranged from the daughter she had supported her entire life. She deserves recognition for many of the things was currently take for granted: Social Security, elimination of child labor, unemployment, and fair labor practices. I was very glad I read this book.… (meer)