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First woman to serve in a presidential cabinet, U.S. secretary of labor for Franklin Delano Roosevelt (and still the longest-sitting secretary of labor in U.S. history), Cornell University guest professor of industrial and labor relations, social worker, factory inspector, New York State commissioner of labor -- a pioneering woman in and ahead of her time, champion of the New Deal, close friend and advisor to FDR.

Despite her remarkable achievements, there is currently no library, museum, or memorial to honor Frances Perkins and to further her mission. Many of the New Deal programs and initiatives that Frances Perkins helped to launch and bring to fruition have been abandoned or have dissipated. Even social security, one of her biggest accomplishments, called by FDR "the cornerstone" of his administration, has been threatened. The ideas and accomplishments of Frances Perkins were vital to the nation's recovery from the Great Depression and they remain pertinent, instructive, and inspiring today.


The Perkins family homestead on the Damariscotta River in Coastal Maine held a very special place in Frances Perkins's heart. She viewed it as a place of contemplation and refuge. With the advent of the Center, we are bringing her philosophy and the causes she fought for back to The Brick House, as it is known. The Center will provide a place for students, scholars, and policy makers to research and write about subjects related to and inspired by Perkins's dedication to improving the lives of working men and women.