License to Thrive

Muriel Siebert

On December 28, 1967, in a single instant the face of high finance in America was changed forever when Muriel Siebert became the first woman - one among 1,365 men - to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

Siebert began her career in finance working for various brokerages, and in 1967 began her own firm, beginning by doing research for institutions and buying and selling financial analyses. In 1975, Muriel Siebert and Company became the nation's first discount broker, when the Securities
and Exchange Commission first permitted broker commissions to be negotiable. In 1977, Siebert became the Superintendent of Banks for the State of New York, with oversight of all of the banks in the state,regulating about $500 billion. Not one bank failed during her tenure, despite failures nationwide. In 1990 she created the Siebert Philanthropic Program, through which she shares half of her firm's profits from new securities underwriting with charities of the issuers' choices. The program offers buyers of new securities a chance to help charities in their communities. More than $2 million has been contributed through this innovative program.

Courtesy National Women's Hall of Fame