Frances Perkins: The Woman Behind the New Deal

Later Years > Cornell

President John F. Kennedy

Invitation to the Inauguration of President Kennedy

Washington, January 1961

Frances Perkins Papers, Box 107

Gift of Susanna Perkins Coggeshall, 1970

Frances Perkins

“Washington speech” on making exists for public buildings safer

Autograph manuscript, Washington, ca. 20 May 1963

Frances Perkins Papers, Box 133

Having spent her entire life in public service and continuing to be motivated by remembrance of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, Perkins argued here for comprehensive fire safety laws rather than piecemeal legislation. Many fire safety measures that she mentions here have become law, including use of sprinkler systems, metal doors that close automatically, panic bars (here she speaks of a “panic bolt”), and mandating that occupied areas have at least two fire proof enclosed stairways for exiting.

Gift of Susanna Perkins Coggeshall, 1970

Christopher N. Brieseth

“The Frances Perkins I Knew”

Worcester, Mass.: Franklin D. Roosevelt American

Heritage Center Museum, n.d.

Christopher N. Brieseth wrote this essay in 1966, the year following the death of Frances Perkins. He was one of the members of Cornell’s Telluride House who invited Perkins to live with them for what would be the last five years of her life. His gracious essay, remembering many incidents during that time, has been published on the web:

http://www.fdrheritage.org/breiseth_on_perkins.pdf

 

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