Social Security cards—designed by Fred Happel of Albany, N.Y.—were first issued in November 1936. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935. The card shown here is a sample.
Social Security Card
- ca. 1935
Description
This primary source comes from the Records of the Social Security Administration.
National Archives Identifier: 595679
Full Citation: 47-GA-1-1; Photograph of a Social Security Card; ca. 1935; Photographs of the Social Security Board Activities, 1936–1948; Records of the Social Security Administration, Record Group 47; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/social-security-card/, March 16, 2026]
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
