This “Tough Girl Tuesday” we celebrate the life of Muriel Siebert, the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and longtime advocate of women’s equality on Wall Street, who passed away on August 25, 2013 at the age of 80. Described as a “trailblazer for women on Wall Street,” Siebert not only fought the male-dominated culture of Wall Street, but also was the only woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange for over a decade (she bought her seat in 1967). Infuriated by the difficulty for women to purchase seats on the Exchange and to engage in the Manhattan social clubs (i.e. the “old boys clubs”), Siebert began to take charge by demanding equal treatment. This treatment ranged from using the same elevator as men to access a meeting at a certain club, placing a ladies’ restroom in a convenient location, and allowing membership to popular social clubs of the time that were key to business networking. While she has made incredible strides for women in Wall Street, she consistently claimed that the battle for equality was not over; there was still a long way to go, and women had to keep fighting.
“Firms are doing what they have to do, legally,” she said. “But women are coming into Wall Street in large numbers — and they still are not making partner and are not getting into the positions that lead to the executive suites. There’s still an old-boy network. You just have to keep fighting.”
In 1969, she founded Muriel Siebert & Company and became the first woman to own a brokerage firm that was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. Over time, her brokerage donated millions of dollars to help women pursuing careers in business and finance. The company went public in 1996 and changed its name to Siebert Financial Corporation. These are just some of Siebert’s many
accomplishments and milestones as a woman on Wall Street who would not accept defeat or inequality, and her legacy will continue to inspire women and girls for generations.
Information source: “Muriel Siebert, a Determined Trailblazer for Women on Wall Street, Dies at 80” The New York Times. Published August 25 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/business/muriel-siebert-first-woman-to-own-a-seat-on-wall-st-dies-at-80.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
“Firms are doing what they have to do, legally,” she said. “But women are coming into Wall Street in large numbers — and they still are not making partner and are not getting into the positions that lead to the executive suites. There’s still an old-boy network. You just have to keep fighting.”
In 1969, she founded Muriel Siebert & Company and became the first woman to own a brokerage firm that was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. Over time, her brokerage donated millions of dollars to help women pursuing careers in business and finance. The company went public in 1996 and changed its name to Siebert Financial Corporation. These are just some of Siebert’s many
accomplishments and milestones as a woman on Wall Street who would not accept defeat or inequality, and her legacy will continue to inspire women and girls for generations.
Information source: “Muriel Siebert, a Determined Trailblazer for Women on Wall Street, Dies at 80” The New York Times. Published August 25 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/business/muriel-siebert-first-woman-to-own-a-seat-on-wall-st-dies-at-80.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
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