By Lenox Johnson ’24
Copy Chief
Susan Bateson ‘76 (left) & Clarissa Soma Gonçalves Cordeiro ‘21 (right)
Photo Courtesy of Susan Bateson ‘76
On March 26, W46th Street between ninth and 10th Avenue was named “Frances Perkins Place” by the City of New York. The street is dedicated to Frances Perkins, a Mount Holyoke alum, widely recognized working-class advocate, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet.
The street naming took place one day after the 111th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, an industrial workplace disaster that killed 146 workers, mostly comprised of immigrant women, as New York City Council member Erik Bottcher detailed in his remarks. Perkins, who was an eyewitness to the fire, resolved to take concrete action in favor of workers’ rights and the prevention of unjust working conditions, Bottcher explained. The fire catalyzed her involvement in social justice and activism. Perkins later helped draft the New Deal to rectify some of the conditions that led to the catastrophe.
The co-naming took place in Hell’s Kitchen, which encompasses Hartley House, Perkins’ former residence. Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, grandson of Perkins and founding member of the Frances Perkins Center, was a key advocate in the event’s organization. Coggeshall was joined by Mayor of the City of New York Eric Adams, Senator Brad Hoylman, Councilman Bottcher, New York State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, Heidi Reavis of Women Creating Change and New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. The street corner was packed with attendees — some nearby residents and passersby listened intently to the speakers’ impassioned words.
“There were people hanging out of their windows, all around that area, to watch and to listen,” Ann Beaudry, board of directors member and chair of the Programs and the Outreach Committee for the Frances Perkins Center, said. “If there’d been one person standing on the street corner, I would’ve been as excited as I was that day.”
The Mount Holyoke Frances Perkins program, an integral piece of the Mount Holyoke landscape, has been active since 1980, according to the program’s academic page. The program — a vehicle for 4-year degree completion for nontraditional-age students — bears Perkins’ name as a testament to her alumni status and post-graduate achievements.
Susan Bateson ’76, member of the board of directors and chair of the development committee for the Frances Perkins Center, was moved by the overwhelming response to Perkins’ work. “People cheered when hearing all of [Perkins’] accomplishments — programs that matter to millions of Americans today, including Social Security, worker’s compensation, minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, child labor laws and worker safety regulations,” Bateson said. “One person, working hard and smart, can make a real difference in the lives of millions.”
Perkins was well-acquainted with playing the odd woman out. The former secretary of labor worked regularly in rooms full of men. Reardon commended her for taking some of the first steps down the road for workers’ rights, despite the obstacles. “When you open a door, look in and don’t see yourself in that room, it can be awfully difficult to go in. [Perkins] never saw herself in any room she walked into, but she put that foot forward,” Reardon said.
Clarissa Soma Gonçalves Cordeiro FP ’21, Mount Holyoke admission counselor, sees value in Perkins’ advocacy for women and minorities. As a former international student, Gonçalves Cordeiro was moved by the celebration of Perkins’ inclusive ideology, and recognizes the importance of the continuation of this kind of work.
“I think things are a little better in some aspects, but it’s still very challenging for BIPOC people, for people who were not born in the U.S. [and] for female [and] trans people to have their voices out there being heard and [to] have supporters who allow them to make the necessary changes,” Gonçalves Cordeiro said. “I think [it’s] really important for everyone to know, not just the minority groups … how valuable it is to bring a minority voice [to] the table and how much we can achieve.”
Upon Tomlin’s mention of Perkins’ alma mater, Gonçalves Cordeiro let out a celebratory cry. Her joyful call was met by a sea of equally enthusiastic yelps and applause.
“It’s such a pride … to be a Frances Perkins scholar … [and] to know that our program is named after this powerful person who [did] such amazing work in times that we barely had spaces anywhere,” Gonçalves Cordeiro said. “I’m really proud to wear the Frances Perkins program t-shirt … I’m very proud to be a Mount Holyoke alum [and] I’m very proud to be part of this community.”
Perkins’ commitment to her work and the well-being of marginalized Americans was a major theme throughout the dedication.
“In her life, she acted on compassion … That’s one of women’s greatest gifts. We have the great innate power to direct ourselves from that point of compassion and not let our intellect override that compassion,” Lynne Elizabeth ’71 said. “I feel our world [would be] better off if we had more women in places where they can have an influence.”
The Mount Holyoke alum’s contributions beyond the College are many. The Manhattan street corner will bear Perkins’ name in green and white for years to come.
“Too few things are named after too few women. And this, I hope, has an effect,” Beaudry said. “This has a permanence to it. It’s not just a naming of a building. It’s seeing and leading people to know [and] feel inspired by [Perkins].”