On March 25, 1911, Frances Perkins (1880-1965) was having tea at a friend’s townhouse on North Washington Square. Seeing this horrendous tragedy led her to work on changing the conditions of the workers. From 1911 to 1915, the New York State Factory Investigating Commission examined factory working conditions and recommended reforms. Under Perkins’ direction, lawmakers passed thirty-six laws, improving workplace safety, fire codes, sanitation, child labor restrictions, and mo