Record Details

Catalog Search

Search The Catalog



The woman behind the New Deal : the life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and his moral conscience / Kirstin Downey.

Downey, Kirstin. (Author).

Summary:

Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. Frances Perkins was named Secretary of Labor by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. As the first female cabinet secretary, at the height of the Great Depression, she spearheaded the fight to improve the lives of America's working people while juggling her own family responsibilities. Perkins's ideas became the cornerstones of the most important social welfare legislation in the nation's history, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, the forty-hour work week, and Social Security. Also, as head of the Immigration Service, she fought to bring European refugees to safety. Based on eight years of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to family and friends, this is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.--From publisher description.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780385513654
  • ISBN: 0385513658
  • Physical Description: xiii, 458 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm
  • Publisher: New York : Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, [2009]

Content descriptions

General Note:
Given in Memory of Amanda Shetlar by Janet Hunter Ouzts.
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 433-444) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Childhood and youth -- Becoming Frances Perkins -- The young activist hits New York -- The Triangle Shirtwaist fire -- Finding allies in Tammany Hall -- Teddy Roosevelt and Frances Perkins -- A good match -- Married life -- Motherhood -- The indomitable Al Smith -- FDR and Al Smith -- With the Roosevelts in Albany -- FDR becomes president -- Frances becomes Secretary of Labor -- The pioneer -- Skeletons in the Labor Department closet -- Jump-starting the economy -- At home with Mary Harriman -- Blue Eagle: a first try at "civilizing capitalism" -- Refugees and regulations -- Rebuilding the house of labor -- Labor shakes off its slumber -- The union movement revitalizes and splits apart -- Social Security -- Family problems -- Court-packing, wages, and hours -- Impeachment -- War clouds and refugees -- Frances and Franklin -- Madness, misalliances, and a nude bisexual water sprite -- The war comes -- Last days of the Roosevelt administration -- Harry Truman -- The Truman administration -- Communism -- End of the Truman era -- Many transitions -- Last days.
Subject:
Perkins, Frances, 1880-1965.
United States. Department of Labor > Biography.
Women cabinet officers > United States > Biography.
Women social reformers > United States > Biography.
Shetlar, Amanda > 2008-2009, Memorial.
Ouzts, Janet Hunter > 2008-2009, Donor.
Genre:
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 14 of 15 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at McDowell County Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 15 total copies.
Sort by distance from:
Show All Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Marion Library BIO PER (Text) 37810434754155 Adult Biography Available -

Accessibility Features

LDR 03885nam a2200469 a 4500
0012573390
003CARDINAL
00520090513115947.0
008080605s2009 nyuaf b 001 0beng
010 . ‡a 2008023208
020 . ‡a9780385513654
020 . ‡a0385513658
035 . ‡a(OCoLC)231162915
040 . ‡aDLC ‡beng ‡erda ‡cDLC ‡dBTCTA ‡dBAKER ‡dYDXCP ‡dC#P ‡dYBM ‡dBWX ‡dCDX ‡dBUR ‡dPAU ‡dTTU ‡dHQG
05000. ‡aHD8073.P38 ‡bD69 2009
08200. ‡a331.092 ‡222
08214. ‡aB ‡222
1001 . ‡aDowney, Kirstin. ‡0(CARDINAL)491891
24514. ‡aThe woman behind the New Deal : ‡bthe life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and his moral conscience / ‡cKirstin Downey.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bNan A. Talese/Doubleday, ‡c[2009]
264 4. ‡c©2009
300 . ‡axiii, 458 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations ; ‡c25 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
500 . ‡aGiven in Memory of Amanda Shetlar by Janet Hunter Ouzts.
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 433-444) and index.
5050 . ‡aChildhood and youth -- Becoming Frances Perkins -- The young activist hits New York -- The Triangle Shirtwaist fire -- Finding allies in Tammany Hall -- Teddy Roosevelt and Frances Perkins -- A good match -- Married life -- Motherhood -- The indomitable Al Smith -- FDR and Al Smith -- With the Roosevelts in Albany -- FDR becomes president -- Frances becomes Secretary of Labor -- The pioneer -- Skeletons in the Labor Department closet -- Jump-starting the economy -- At home with Mary Harriman -- Blue Eagle: a first try at "civilizing capitalism" -- Refugees and regulations -- Rebuilding the house of labor -- Labor shakes off its slumber -- The union movement revitalizes and splits apart -- Social Security -- Family problems -- Court-packing, wages, and hours -- Impeachment -- War clouds and refugees -- Frances and Franklin -- Madness, misalliances, and a nude bisexual water sprite -- The war comes -- Last days of the Roosevelt administration -- Harry Truman -- The Truman administration -- Communism -- End of the Truman era -- Many transitions -- Last days.
520 . ‡aFrances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. Frances Perkins was named Secretary of Labor by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. As the first female cabinet secretary, at the height of the Great Depression, she spearheaded the fight to improve the lives of America's working people while juggling her own family responsibilities. Perkins's ideas became the cornerstones of the most important social welfare legislation in the nation's history, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, the forty-hour work week, and Social Security. Also, as head of the Immigration Service, she fought to bring European refugees to safety. Based on eight years of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to family and friends, this is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.--From publisher description.
60010. ‡aPerkins, Frances, ‡d1880-1965. ‡0(CARDINAL)123748
61010. ‡aUnited States. ‡bDepartment of Labor ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aWomen cabinet officers ‡zUnited States ‡vBiography. ‡0(CARDINAL)305192
650 0. ‡aWomen social reformers ‡zUnited States ‡vBiography. ‡0(CARDINAL)298377
650 0. ‡aShetlar, Amanda ‡y2008-2009, ‡eMemorial.
650 0. ‡aOuzts, Janet Hunter ‡y2008-2009, ‡eDonor.
655 7. ‡aBiographies. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)326681
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201809
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201909
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201912
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 202106
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 202303
901 . ‡a2573390 ‡bOCLC ‡c2573390 ‡tbiblio ‡soclc