Editor’s note: This is the 66th in a series of essays on the history and meaning of the American political tradition. “Frances Perkins” is not a household name, but it ought to be, for Frances Perkins herself (1880–1965) is legendary. The title of a recent biography, “The Woman Behind the New Deal,” doesn’t say enough, for she conceived the New Deal, gave it birth and nurtured it to maturity. In 1933, when Franklin Roosevelt was choosing his cabinet, he offered her the position of Secretary of Labor. She ac … (read more)
