 In 1945 , the New York State Legislature founded the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell , in response to requests from organized labor and Democratic leaders . The school quickly gained national stature when U.S. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins , who was the first female US Cabinet member and served longer than anyone else as Secretary of Labor ( 12 years ) , joined the <unk> faculty . Since agricultural interests were mostly affiliated with the Republicans , Cornell enjoyed bi @-@ partisan support following World War II . 
