MURIEL SIEBERT

Muriel "Mickie" Siebert was born on September 12, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1949 Siebert began attending Western Reserve University. During her time there, she took business classes and was often the only girl in her class. In 1952 her father was diagnosed with cancer and she left school early. Two years later, Siebert moved to New York. Siebert lied about having a college degree, so she could get her first job training as a researcher for Bache & Company. On December 28, 1967, Siebert became the first woman to buy a seat and become a member of the New York Stock Exchange. In 1969, Siebert started Muriel Siebert & Company. For ten years, she was the only woman out of 1,365 men on the stock exchange. Siebert became New York’s first female superintendent of banking in 1977. While she was in that position, none of the banks in New York had to shut down. During that time, she also directed New York City’s Municipal Credit Union, Urban Development Corporation, and Job Development Authority. In 1987 she successfully campaigned to get a ladies’ bathroom on the seventh floor of the New York Stock Exchange because there was no bathroom for women during most of her time there. She started the Siebert Entrepreneurial Philanthropic Plan in 1990 to help buyers give money to charities. She was recognized for her work and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Four years later she became the president of the New York Women’s Agenda. Siebert published her autobiography called Changing the Rules: Adventures of a Wall Street Maverick in 2002. Although she never graduated from college, she received an honorary doctorate degree from Wagner College in 2010 and has been given a total of 17 honorary doctorates. Siebert died on August 24, 2013 from cancer.

"Women are more patient than men. Men often make the dime, but they'll leave a quarter behind."