#11 "Kelly's account of Francis Perkins"

Media: Episode Recording -- "Kelly's account of Francis Perkins"

Link to Podcast: Episode Recording -- "Kelly's account of Francis Perkins"
Episode Number: Students Podcasting History Episode #11
Episode Title: #11 "Kelly's account of Francis Perkins"
Episode Date: April 3, 2025
Key Words: Frances Perkins, New Deal, Social Security Act, Labor Rights, Great Depression, FDR Administration, American History, Social Reform, Women in Politics, 1930s
Episode Introduction: This episode will go into the life and accomplishments of Frances Perkins (1880-1965) who served as the first woman in a U.S presidential cabinet. She was the Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933-1945. Perkins gained an interest for labor and safety regulation from witnessing the Triangle ShirtWaist Factory fire that killed over 100 people. Prior to working for FDR, she served as the Executive Secretary of the Committee on Safety, and worked diligently to prevent another tragedy in the factories. She helped pass 13 of 17 bills that had stricter safety and health laws for a wide array of establishments. Perkins played a very important role in shaping the regulation of labor and safety in America. She was a large contributor to the progress of the New Deal, including her work on the Social Security Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and other policies supporting worker’s rights. Other sources have focused on Perkins' role in the New Deal, but few people have explored her personal motivations, the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated political workforce, and her lasting impact on labor regulations. Addressing this historical gap through a closer look at Perkins' political plan, will show the differentiated influence she has had as both a woman and a reformer, and her crucial role in shaping labor policies during the Great Depression. This podcast will provide a personal insight to Frances Perkins thoughts and how she navigated the political environment of that time.
Host Biography: Kelly Baumgart is a student in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s History of the United States II course at The University of The South: Sewanee, where she is currently focusing on American history from 1865 to present day. She is very passionate about discovering underrepresented historical actors and the influence they had in the intersection of history, politics, and society. Kelly seeks to bring a new perspective to historical narratives. As the host of the Students Podcasting History series, Kelly has thoroughly read and researched this time period, the historical actors, and key events that have shaped the world we live in today. Through this podcast, she aims to make this time period more enticing for audiences to learn about and to appreciate the contributions of the historical actor. The Students Podcasting History is an educational project that was developed in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s course, created to explore crucial events and times in American History through podcasting. Through researching primary and secondary sources, Kelly has brought a new and creative perspective to understanding the pivotal Frances Perkins. This new perspective of the New Deal era will hopefully engage listeners into learning about this time period in a new, fun and meaningful way.
The Show: Students Podcasting History is an educational resource developed by students in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s History of the United States II course to highlight crucial movements in American History through podcasting. The students research and interpret primary and secondary sources to discuss pivotal themes, people, and events in the United States' history from 1865 through the present. Through creatively sharing these narratives and learning digital tools, these students hope to make history more accessible and exciting for the general public.
Source: Downey, Kirstin. The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins,
FDR’S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience and the Minimum Wage. Knopf
Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009.
Franklin Roosevelt, “Second Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt,1937,” as seen in
Joseph L. Locke and Ben Wright, The American Yawp Reader: A Documentary
Companion to the American Yawp, (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press,
2023),
https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/23-the-great-depression/second-inaugural-addressof-franklin-d-roosevelt-1937/
Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. “20. The Progressive Era.” In The American Yawp. Stanford
University Press, 2013. http://www.americanyawp.com/text/23-the-great-depression/.
Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright. “23. The Great Depression.” In The American Yawp. Stanford
University Press, 2013. http://www.americanyawp.com/text/23-the-great-depression/
Contact Information: https://www.andrewwyattmaginn.org/Digital_Humanities/s/studentspodcastinghistory/page/home