Biden to Create National Monument Honoring First Female Cabinet Secretary

December 16, 2024 TruthUSA

The new monument will encompass the 57-acre Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark location in Newcastle, Maine.

On December 16, President Joe Biden is set to sign a proclamation designating a monument in honor of Frances Perkins, the first woman to hold a cabinet secretary position, as announced by the White House on Monday.

The monument dedicated to Perkins, who was the U.S. labor secretary from 1933 until 1945 and passed away in 1965, will be located in Newcastle, Maine, according to the White House.

Biden will sign the proclamation during a visit to the Frances Perkins Building at the Department of Labor in Washington.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Perkins as labor secretary in the same year he began his presidency and maintained her position until his death in 1945. Roosevelt stands as the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms. Perkins is recognized for her significant role in assisting Roosevelt in implementing extensive reforms, including legislation that established a minimum wage and Social Security.

“I came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen,” Perkins stated at one point.

In a factsheet, the White House noted that Perkins informed Roosevelt that if she accepted the labor secretary position, she would pursue an ambitious agenda to safeguard American workers. The factsheet highlighted that during her 12-year tenure as labor secretary, “Perkins accomplished nearly everything on her list and laid the groundwork for the labor policy and social safety net that we continue to build on today.”

This new monument will extend its boundaries to cover the 57-acre Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark site in Newcastle, where Perkins spent many summers during her childhood and also took breaks as an adult. The site features the family’s home, a barn, and gardens.

The establishment of this monument is part of Biden’s commitment to recognize women’s contributions to history.

“Women and girls of all backgrounds have shaped our country’s history, from the ongoing fight for justice and equality to cutting-edge scientific advancements and artistic achievements. Yet these contributions have often been overlooked,” he noted in a previous executive order. “We must do more to recognize the role of women and girls in America’s story, including through the Federal Government’s recognition and interpretation of historic and cultural sites.”

Additionally, the federal government announced on Monday the establishment of five new historic landmarks, including the Charleston Cigar Factory, or the American Cigar Company Building, in Charleston, South Carolina, where workers staged a strike in 1945 to demand better pay and working conditions.

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