Civil Works Administration

President Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled the CWA on November 8, 1933, and put Harry L. Hopkins in charge of the short-term agency.

CWA workers laid 12 million feet of sewer pipe and built or improved 255,000 miles of roads, 40,000 schools, 3,700 playgrounds, and nearly 1,000 airports.

Projects undertaken included work on city utility systems, public buildings, parks, and roads.

CWA officials gave preference to veterans with dependents, but considerable political favoritism determined which North Dakotans got jobs.

Roosevelt told his cabinet that this criticism moved him to end the program and replace it with the WPA which would have long-term value for the society, in addition to short-term benefits for the unemployed.