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Dr. Christopher N. Breiseth, 1936 - 2026

"The first time I met Frances Perkins was in the spring of 1960. My fellow students at the Telluride House at Cornell University had invited Miss Perkins, a Visiting Professor in the Industrial Labor and Relations School at Cornell, to join us for dinner and a talk afterwards. To get the questioning going after dinner, I asked her what she regarded as her most important contribution. She answered in two words: 'Social Security.'” 

- Dr. Christopher N. Breiseth

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Christopher N. Breiseth, historian, author, former non-profit executive and college president, friend to Frances Perkins and her family, and Board Chair Emeritus of the Frances Perkins Center.

The impact of Dr. Breiseth’s scholarship and lifelong work to elevate Frances Perkins to her rightful place in American history cannot be overstated. We are deeply grateful for the wisdom he showed as a young Cornell University student, recognizing the significance of his unlikely, extraordinary housemate—visiting lecturer, 80-year-old Frances Perkins.

For the next seven decades, he dedicated himself to ensuring that one of America’s greatest leaders received the honor and recognition she deserved for a lifetime of public service and landmark legislation that improved the lives of all Americans.

Following her passing in 1965, Dr. Breiseth wrote a moving article, “The Frances Perkins I Knew,” offering an unparalleled glimpse into the final years of his trailblazing friend. (Read PDF)

Donations in Dr. Breiseth's memory can be made to the Frances Perkins Center and the Christopher and Jane Breiseth Scholarship Fund at Wilkes University.

Several of his talks, articles, and books are preserved on a website created by his family to sustain his legacy, www.christopherbreiseth.com.

Dr. Breiseth speaking about Frances Perkins and her legacy at the 90th Anniversary of Social Security in 2025 at the Frances Perkins National Monument (starting at 11:02)

Photo of Frances Perkins by Dr. Breiseth, Ithaca, NY c. 1964

Frances Perkins Center is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Tax ID: 26-4371534