I’m going on a trail ride with my granddaughter Sophie (she’s on Spring break) tomorrow, April 10th, and you can be sure, I’ll remember to tell her that it’s the birthday of Frances Perkins, the first woman in the U.S cabinet, and the architect of far reaching social and labor reforms, including Social Security. I’ll also tell her about Frances Perkins’s very brief movie moment in “Dirty Dancing.” It’s in the scene when Patrick Swayze asks Jennifer Grey, “What’s your real name, Baby?” And she replies, “Frances, for the first woman in the cabinet.” On Saturday, I’ll be at Mount Holyoke College, Perkins’s alma mater, in South Hadley, MA, to give my multimedia presentation, “A Woman Unafraid: The Achievements of Frances Perkins,” (also the title of my 1993 biography of FP) at an event celebrating Frances Perkins 132nd Birthday.”
Penny, this is very exciting news! Hope you have a wonderful day at Mount Holyoke. I have to tell our lower school librarian about this as I seem to recall that she is a MH grad. Please post a full report on your blog. Did I tell you that I’ll be retiring, as of June 1st when school ends? It’s time to go. . . .