Selects: Frances Perkins: Influential and Unknown

# Summary

This Stuff You Should Know episode celebrates Frances Perkins, one of America's most influential yet undersung figures, who witnessed the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 and channeled that tragedy into becoming the driving force behind some of the most important labor protections in U.S. history. As FDR's Secretary of Labor, Perkins spearheaded the creation of Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage laws, the elimination of child labor, and helped rescue thousands of Jewish refugees during WWII—all while being the first woman ever appointed to a presidential cabinet. It's a compelling story of how one woman's determination and vision fundamentally transformed workers' rights and created the safety net that millions of Americans rely on today.