March 4, 1913: The Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor

March 4, 1913: In one of his last acts as President of the United States, William Howard Taft signs a bill splitting the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor, which had been founded in 1903, into separate departments, both with Cabinet rank.

Taft rode with President-elect Woodrow Wilson to the Capitol Building in a horse-drawn carriage. Not until 1921 would the transition ride be conducted by automobile. Despite the change in party of power -- Taft was a conservative Republican, and Wilson a Democrat considered progressive at the time -- the two men got along well.

Wilson, previously Governor of New Jersey was sworn in by Chief Justice Edward D. White. Thomas R. Marshall, who had been Governor of Indiana, was sworn in as Vice President. Among the marchers in the Inaugural Parade that followed were the Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, including Dwight D. Eisenhower. Forty years later, on January 20, 1953, Eisenhower would be inaugurated as President, and watch the West Point Cadets march in his Inaugural Parade.

The 1st Secretary of Commerce was William C. Redfield, a former Congressman from New York. The 1st Secretary of Labor was William B. Wilson, a former Congressman from Pennsylvania, no relation to the new President. Both men took office on March 5, 1913. Redfield held his office until October 31, 1919, while William B. Wilson served the entirety of the Wilson Administration, until March 5, 1921.

The Department of Commerce is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing economic development, promoting foreign direct investment, and safeguarding national economic security.

Among the agencies under its domain are the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The headquarters of the Department of Commerce is named the Herbert C. Hoover Federal Building, after the only Secretary of Commerce ever to become President, despite the fact that his Presidency included the 1st 3 years of the Great Depression, which did a number on commerce, in America and worldwide. The address is 1401 Constitution Avenue NW. It opened in 1932, while Hoover was President, and was named for him in 1981.

The Department of Labor is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemployment benefits, reemployment services, and occasionally, economic statistics.

Among the agencies under its domain are the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The headquarters of the Department of Labor is at the Frances Perkins Building, opened in 1974, and named for the 1st female Cabinet official, and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor. The address is 200 Constitution Avenue NW.

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March 4, 1913 was a Tuesday. Actor John Garfield was born. Baseball was in Spring Training. Football was out of season. Professional basketball barely existed. Hockey season was reaching its climax, as the Stanley Cup Finals were about to begin. The Quebec Bulldogs, Cup holders and Champions of the National Hockey Association, went on to beat the Sydney Millionaires of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Champions of the Maritime Professional Hockey Association. But, on the specific day of March 4, 1913, there were no scores.