Frieda Barkin Hennock (27 December 1904 – 20 June 1960) was born in the city of Kovel now in Ukraine. She received an LL.B from Brooklyn Law School in 1924. Between 1926 and 1948 she worked as a lawyer in New York State.
She was a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission from 1948 to 1955. Appointed by President Harry S. Truman, she was the first female FCC commissioner. Hennock is credited with the agency's decision to set aside permanent channel assignments for educational stations. This farsighted move ensured the future of public broadcasting in the United States.