TIME • October 21, 2024
In August 2024, the Biden Administration signaled plans to designate the Maine homestead of former Labor Secretary Frances Perkins — the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and a key architect of the New Deal — as a national monument. Perkins did little to cement herself in the historical record. She was more interested in her work and her family’s personal safety than in being remembered. Now, the rise of female politicians is helping to reinsert her in our historical memory in a way that is long overdue. During her 12-year tenure at the Department of Labor, Perkins became the longest-serving labor secretary, and a force behind some of the most significant New Deal legislation, including the National Labor Relations Act, the Social Security Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Female lawmakers have supported a national monument honoring Perkins, and the excitement and buzz created by the potential for the first female president may push the proposal across the finish line.