Frances Perkins Center
Who We Are
The mission of the Frances Perkins Center is to fulfill the legacy of Frances Perkins -- the first woman U.S. Cabinet Secretary, FDR's Secretary of Labor for twelve years, and principal architect of the New Deal -- by continuing her work for social and economic justice and preserving for future generations her nationally significant family homestead. The Frances Perkins Center is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2009 by Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, Frances Perkins' grandson. Our current executive director is Laura A. Fortman, former Commissioner of Labor for the State of Maine. In October of 2010, we moved into office space in downtown Damariscotta.
What We Do
The Frances Perkins Center carries on Frances Perkins' vision of an America in which everyone is able to pursue the best possible life. It does so by inspiring robust and informed discourse about the meaning of economic security and social justice through publications, conversations, and other educational events. 2011 activities included the production of a book, "A Promise to All Generations," with 13 essays written by national experts on Social Security. We also had a summer fellow from Columbia University who conducted extensive research about local brick making. 2012 events included our annual Awards Ceremony and Garden Party in Portland and Newcastle, summer lectures, tours of the Brick House Historic District, and an exhibition opening at our headquarters in Damariscotta.
