LEWISTON — Laura Fortman, executive director of the Frances Perkins Center and Maine’s former commissioner of labor, will speak on “Frances Perkins: New Deal Legacy and Lessons for Today” on Wednesday.

The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Mays Center, 95 Russell St.

Frances Perkins, who was the first U.S. Secretary of Labor and the first female Cabinet member, is credited as having been the architect of much of President Franklin Roosevelt’s most significant New Deal legislation.

She proposed and helped to push through many of the major reforms dealing with labor and working conditions, such as child labor laws and workplace safety laws. She is also the “mother” of Social Security.

The talk will focus on the enduring legacy of Perkins’ work and its relevance to the United States today and to this November’s election.

The lecture is the fifth in the Harward Center’s Civic Forum series. The talk is free and open to the public. For more information, call 786-8283.