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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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right away.” We talked about who should succeed him. I don't remember now who Al and I talked about. I didn't assume, and neither did Smith assume, that Franklin would ask me to be the Industrial Commissioner. That would have been most unusual in Al's thinking. He never would have thought of that, I'm sure.

As a matter of fact, one of the reasons Franklin Roosevelt thought of it, and he often said so, was, “Al would never have thought of that. Al would never have thought of making a woman the head of the Department.” Franklin was quite vain about how much better he was than Smith. He wanted to point it out to you. It was natural, too, for him to feel that way, as a compensation, and after all he had just won the victory. He didn't like being father's oldest son, particularly, although he was sweet about it. He wanted to show you how much better he was on as many points as possible - points where he thought you would be impressed.

I think Roosevelt went back to Warm Springs between his election and inauguration on January 1st. I think he went down there for a few weeks. My memory is that he asked me to be Industrial Commissioner before his inauguration. I know that he asked me at Hyde Park. It has been said that Eleanor Roosevelt urged FDR to appoint me. I don't know





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