Biden to Create a National Monument in Maine to Honor Frances Perkins, the Nation’s First Female Cabinet Member
Originally published by Maxine Joselow for the Washington Post
President Joe Biden plans to create a national monument in Maine honoring Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet secretary and a fierce advocate for workers’ rights, according to three people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision is not yet public.
Biden is expected to sign a proclamation designating Perkins’s family home in Newcastle, Maine, as part of the National Park System, aiming to recognize the legacy of a trailblazing woman while bolstering his own legacy before he leaves office in January, the three people said. The timing of the announcement has not yet been finalized, although it could happen in the coming weeks, they said.
Perkins served as labor secretary under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945, leaving a lasting mark on the nation’s labor laws. She was instrumental in the creation of New Deal-era programs that expanded the social safety net, including Social Security, federal unemployment insurance and the federal minimum wage.
Of 429 national park sites across the country, only 12 are devoted to historic women. Biden has sought to address this imbalance, signing an executive order in March that directed the National Park Service to better recognize women’s contributions to American life.
“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,” the order says. “Yet these contributions have often been overlooked.”
The White House initially declined to comment for this article. After this piece was published, however, White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said in an emailed statement: “No decisions have been made at this time regarding a new monument and key steps for a designation have not occurred. We appreciate hearing the delegation’s interest and support for recognizing this site.”
The Frances Perkins Homestead comprises a brick house and barns surrounded by 57 acres of picturesque woods and fields along the Damariscotta River in southeast Maine. While the property was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2014, the nonprofit Frances Perkins Center has continued to own and oversee the site, offering a self-guided exhibit on Perkins’s life and maintaining a network of trails.