Fireside chat to feature ‘Dear Miss Perkins’ author March 2

During Women’s History Month, the Lewes Public Library will welcome Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham for a fireside chat about her new book, “Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins’s Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany,” at 5 p.m., Sunday, March 2, in the library’s fireplace area, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, and online via Zoom. 

Hosted by historian Paul Sparrow, former director of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, this month’s event is co-sponsored by Seaside Jewish Community.

An inspiring narrative of the first woman to serve in a president’s cabinet, Graham’s book reveals the full, never-before-told story of Frances Perkins’ role in saving Jewish refugees during the Nazi regime. As Hitler rose to power, thousands of German-Jewish refugees reached out to the INS – then part of the Labor Department – applying for immigration to the United States, writing letters that began “Dear Miss Perkins.” As secretary of labor, Perkins wrestled with widespread antisemitism and isolationism, finding creative ways to work around quotas and restrictive immigration laws.

“'Dear Miss Perkins' offers a refreshing millennial perspective on the history of American immigration policy," said Sparrow. "Graham paints a compelling portrait of a quiet hero who transcended the misogyny of her time, shattered glass ceilings and rewrote the rules for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Seating is limited, and registration is required. To register for either online or in-person attendance, go to lewes.lib.de.us or call 302-645-2733.

Graham is a postdoctoral research associate at Brown University. Previously, she taught at the American University in Washington, D.C., where she also received her doctorate in history and a master’s degree in public history.