Traveling Exhibit about Frances Perkins on Display

The general public is invited to preview a five-panel traveling exhibit about Frances Perkins, one of the most interesting women in U.S. history. The Needham History Center & Museum is hosting the exhibit through Friday, November 22, 2019. The hours are from 10:00am through 2:30pm.

Frances Perkins (1880-1965), the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet, was Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) for the entire tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Perkins was the driving force behind many of the groundbreaking New Deal programs that are still the foundation of the American social safety net — Social Security, unemployment insurance, the 40-hour work week, and the minimum wage.

The exhibit is made possible through the Frances Perkins Center. The goal of the traveling exhibit is to bring this educational opportunity to groups and students to learn about Frances Perkins, her remarkable role in our national history, and how her accomplishments continue to benefit all Americans today.

Since October 21, 2019 the exhibit has been on tour in Needham as well as a few other locations in the Greater Boston area. Currently the exhibit is scheduled until December 18, 2019.

Current schedule and locations for the Frances Perkins Traveling Exhibit:

Nov 18 – 22, Needham History Center & Museum, Open for General Public (10:00am – 2:30pm)

Dec 3 – 18, Dana Hall School, Wellesley (Viewing is private for all students)

Dec 7, Worcester State University, Indivisible Massachusetts, Annual Conference

Sponsors for the Tour of the Frances Perkins Exhibit

Patron – Needham History Center & Museum

Supporter – The Center at the Heights

Friends (List in formation, as of November 19, 2019)

League of Women Voters – Needham

Needham Community Farm

Needham Women’s Club

Bill Paulson, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty

Progressive Needham

Bill Okerman

Rotary Club of Needham

Tedi Eaton

Donna & Bill Vello

We Did It For You! Women’s Journey Through History

About bringing this Educational Opportunity to You

Support of the Traveling Exhibit (and related Documentary) by the Maine Humanities Council, Maine Community Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, Historic New England, and Katharine J. Watson make it possible to bring the related documentary and traveling exhibit to venues across the country with no associated fees.

If your school or organization is interested in showing the exhibit and film, please contact the Frances Perkins Center at info@francesperkinscenter.org or by calling 207-563-3374.

About the Frances Perkins Center

The Frances Perkins Center is dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of the woman behind the New Deal by continuing Frances Perkins’ work for social and economic justice and by preserving for future generations her nationally significant family homestead in Newcastle, Maine.