NJHN November 23 Program: Carol Simon Levin Portrays Frances Perkins, Mother of the New Deal

Our program this month is a live portrayal of Frances Perkins, considered the Mother of the New Deal, by Carol Simon Levin, a librarian, historian, author and storyteller.

Frances Perkins (1880-1965) was America’s first female cabinet secretary (of Labor under FDR from 1933-1945), a remarkable woman whose compassion, outrage, persistence, and political skills led to the most far-reaching and effective labor protection and safety net legislation ever enacted in the United States – including workplace safety standards, the elimination of child labor, and implementation of a forty hour workweek, social security for the elderly and disabled, unemployment insurance and the minimum wage. 

Carol Simon Levin is a professional storyteller and independent historian who specializes in telling the stories of “fascinating women history forgot” through first person portrayals. She is the founder of Telling Her Stories, a New Jersey Council for the Humanities Public Scholar, a member of the New Jersey Storytelling Network, the National Women’s History Alliance, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the author of the book Remembering the Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates, and co-author (with Joy Tsuzuki) of Joy’s memoir A Child of Two Cultures: Growing Up in the U.S. & Japan amidst WWII. 

This is an in-person event only at the Monroe Twp Public Library in Monroe Twp. The program will start at 1:30 PM in the Program Room and a Q&A session will follow the talk. Free and open to the public. Please feel free to share the event with anyone you think would be interested. Everyone is welcome to join us after the meeting for an early dinner at a local restaurant.

Disclaimer: The views, information, and opinions expressed by our program speakers are solely their own and are not expressly shared or endorsed by New Jersey Humanist Network. The primary purpose of our speaker programs is to educate, inform and stimulate conversation.