▁American ▁families . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁Frances ▁L omas ▁Feld man ▁had ▁five ▁older ▁sib lings ▁and ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁to ▁Jewish ▁parents ▁who ▁had ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁from ▁Ukraine . ▁At ▁eight ▁years ▁old , ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁Ca . ▁ ▁She ▁became ▁a ▁student ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁at ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁University ▁of ▁Southern ▁California . ▁There ' s ▁some ▁evidence ▁she ▁provided ▁la und ry ▁services ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁her ▁tu ition , ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree . ▁She ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁US C ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁she ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁for ▁Social ▁Work . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁she ▁married ▁a ▁research ▁chem ist ▁named ▁Albert ▁Feld man , ▁who ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁social ▁worker . ▁He ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ▁And rus ▁Ger ont ology ▁Center ▁as ▁deput y ▁director , ▁which ▁he ▁continued ▁until ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁ ▁Social ▁work ▁and ▁research ▁ ▁Her ▁research ▁provided ▁evidence ▁that ▁employ ers ▁and ▁co - work ers ▁often ▁im posed ▁har sh ▁and ▁illegal ▁conditions ▁on ▁cancer ▁surv iv ors . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁of ▁Social ▁Work ers , ▁several ▁states ▁modified ▁fair ▁employ ment ▁legisl ation ▁because ▁of