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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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If you just let it be hinted that you didn't feel you wanted to carry on the war, that would have made you popular. Of course, I never would have done that.

I wanted to help the President. I wanted to do anything that would be at all helpful. I said to him, “Don't give me a thought. Just stick me in anywhere. If you want me to stay around, I'll do the most stupid chores. I'll take a lower title, a lower grade, anything where I don't show or don't have any responsibility apparently, if it's something I can help you on. You can put me on some darned advisory committee, if you want to. I would really like to be released and I would like to have it done so that I can go get myself a proper place in life now.”

I just wanted to get out. I really thought I had been there as long as I thought anybody ought to be there. My principle objection to the third term was that it didn't make enough overturn in the top positions and in the positions where more new, young people ought to get jobs. If the old-timers stay right there where they've been, then there's nobody who can look forward to being appointed to a top job, a Cabinet job, a sub-Cabinet job, a bureau head, a regional director. If you stay on, you're going to keep the people that you have appointed. You like them. They're doing all





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