Frances Perkins

Hello! My name is Frances Perkins. I was born a long, long time ago, in the year 1880. When I was a little girl, I loved to learn new things. Most of all, I loved to help people. I wished I could make the world a kinder and safer place for everyone to live and work.

One day in 1911, I saw something very sad. A big building where people worked, called a factory, caught on fire. It was not a safe place, and many people were hurt. It made my heart feel sad. I made a promise to myself that I would work hard my whole life to make sure everyone had a safe place to do their jobs. I wanted them to have big windows for fresh air and doors that were easy to open if they needed to leave.

Many years later, in 1933, my friend became the president. His name was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He asked me to join his team and gave me a very important job. He made me the Secretary of Labor. I was the very first woman ever to have that job! My job was to think of big ideas to help all the working people in the country. I helped make rules so people could have a weekend to rest, and I made sure kids could go to school instead of working in factories.

One of my best ideas was called Social Security. It is a plan that helps take care of people when they get older and stop working. I lived to be 85 years old, and I spent my whole life trying to be a friend to everyone who works. Even today, my ideas are still used to keep people safe at their jobs and to help families all across the country.