Frances Perkins Traveling Exhibit on Display in Needham

The Needham Free Public Library invites the public to visit the library during its regular hours to see the traveling exhibit about the Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins.

Frances Perkins (1880-1965), the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet, was Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) for the entire tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Perkins was the driving force behind many of the groundbreaking New Deal programs that are still the foundation of the American social safety net — Social Security, unemployment insurance, the 40-hour work week, and the minimum wage.

The library is hosting the exhibit for the entire month of February 2023. The display of the traveling exhibit is planned in conjunction with the five-part lecture series about Frances Perkins being offered by Needham Continuing Education. The virtual programs, presented by speakers from the Frances Perkins Center, will be held on Tuesday evenings, February 7, 14, 28, March 7 and 14 (no class on February 21). The registration fee is $75 for the series through Needham Continuing Education at nce.reg.eleyo.com or by calling 781-455-0400 x5.

Frances Perkins was born in Boston, educated in the public schools of Worcester, and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1902. During summers throughout her life Frances spent time at her ancestral family homestead, a saltwater farm in Newcastle, Maine, now a National Historic Landmark owned by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Frances Perkins Center.

About the Frances Perkins Center:

The Frances Perkins Center is dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of the woman behind the New Deal by continuing Frances Perkins’ work for social and economic justice and by preserving for future generations her nationally significant family homestead in Newcastle, Maine. To learn more about the Frances Perkins Center, call (207) 563-3374, email [email protected], or visit www.FrancesPerkinsCenter.org.

About bringing this Educational Opportunity to You:

Support by Historic New England, Newman’s Own Foundation, Maine Humanities Council, Maine Community Foundation, and others make it possible to bring the traveling exhibit to venues across the country free of charge. The goal is to bring this educational opportunity to students and groups to learn about Frances Perkins, her remarkable role in our national history, and how her accomplishments continue to benefit all Americans today.

If your school or organization is interested in the exhibit and a related 30-minute film, please contact the Frances Perkins Center at [email protected] or call 207-563-3374.

Needham Contacts:

Cathy Freedberg, Frances Perkins Center 781-254-1339; [email protected]

Gay Ellen Dennett, Needham Free Public Library 781-455-7559 x223; [email protected]