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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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I continued to see him even after he had broken with Roosevelt. Shortly after his break with Roosevelt there was a testimonial dinner for Jim Farley in New York. It was done on a big scale. I got an invitation, and I suppose everybody else did. I said to myself, “By George, I suppose I should go, and not only do I think I should go, I want to go. Jim Farley's a friend of mine. He's been extremely helpful to me. Here I am the first woman to hold high public office and why shouldn't I testify publicly as to what he did to help me.” He treated me so decently. He knew how to treat women. He never was fresh with any woman. He never was chummy in that fresh kind of a way, and yet he treated them with respect, but as equals. He would talk with them about any subject. He didn't patronize them and pat them on the head, saying, “There little girl, I'll look out for you.” He was a modern man in that respect and just as natural as could be. There's a great difference in the way men treat women in politics and in public life. Jim couldn't have been better.

So I saw no reason why I shouldn't go. That was one of the things that was unique about Jim Farley and I wanted to go. I had the acceptance all written and I said, “I guess I better speak to the President. He's





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