White House History Live: Dear Miss Perkins

Join us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. Our Facebook Live series, White House History Live, delves into the stories that make up the history of the Executive Mansion.

Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham, postdoctoral research associate at Brown University, will join to discuss her new book, Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins's Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany. This inspiring new narrative of the first woman to serve in a president's cabinet reveals the full, never-before-told story of her role in saving Jewish refugees. As Secretary of Labor, she wrestled widespread antisemitism and isolationism, finding creative ways to work around quotas and restrictive immigration laws. Based on extensive research, Dear Miss Perkins adds a new dimension to an already extraordinary life story, revealing at last how one woman tried to steer the nation to a better, more righteous course.

This event will be live streamed on the White House Historical Association's Facebook and YouTube pages starting at 5:30 pm ET on March 4, 2025.