Muriel Siebert: Redefining Power and Possibility on Wall Street
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Boston, MA — Harvard Business School’s (HBS) Baker Library has opened a new exhibition, Muriel Siebert: Redefining Power and Possibility on Wall Street, which traces the nearly six-decade career of a pioneering business leader whose achievements transformed opportunities for women in finance and reshaped the modern financial landscape.  Muriel Siebert on the New York Stock Exchange floor, 1969. Muriel Siebert Collection, b. 144, f. 1.
In 1967, Muriel “Mickie” Siebert became the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, breaking a barrier that had stood for 175 years. She went on to found and lead her own brokerage firm, Muriel Siebert & Co., and later became the first woman to serve as superintendent of banks for the state of New York. Across each chapter of her career, Siebert combined financial acumen with a deep commitment to public service and expanding access to opportunity. “Through her business leadership, public service, and philanthropy, Muriel Siebert not only transformed Wall Street but also opened doors for generations of women,” said Laura Linard, senior director of Baker Library Special Collections and Archives. “This exhibition brings her story to life through the rich archival record she left behind and underscores Baker Library’s commitment to documenting the history of women in business.”  Muriel Siebert with President George H.W. Bush.
Muriel Siebert Collection, b. 143, f. 3. “Siebert’s story is not only one of individual achievement, but of the broader social and economic shifts that impacted women’s participation in business during the twentieth century,” said Melissa Banta, exhibition curator. “By presenting her career through original documents, photographs, and media coverage, the exhibition reveals how Siebert navigated the gender barriers of her time as she helped advance a transformative era for women in business.” Through photographs, correspondence, business records, advertisements, and media coverage, the exhibition explores Siebert’s rise from research analyst in the 1950s to Wall Street trailblazer, regulator, philanthropist, and national voice on financial literacy. Visitors encounter not only Siebert’s professional milestones, but also the broader social and economic forces that shaped—and were reshaped by—her work, including the changing role of women in business and finance in the second half of the 20th century.  Muriel Siebert outside the New York Stock Exchange,
ca. 1980s. Muriel Siebert Collection, b, 149, f. 1. The exhibition also highlights Siebert’s enduring advocacy beyond Wall Street. A vocal champion for women in business, she worked to dismantle discriminatory practices, promoted financial education for women and young people, and created the Siebert Entrepreneurial Philanthropic Plan, which directed significant resources to community-based organizations nationwide. Her legacy reflects a philosophy she articulated throughout her life: When barriers are broken, they should be held open for others to follow.
Muriel Siebert: Redefining Power and Possibility on Wall Street was organized by Baker Library Special Collections and Archives and is made possible through the support of the de Gaspé Beaubien Family Endowment. The exhibition draws primarily from the Muriel Siebert Collection, donated to Baker Library in 2019, with additional materials on loan from the New York Stock Exchange Archives and the Museum of American Finance.
The exhibition will be on display until December 2026 in the North Lobby of Baker Library | Bloomberg Center on the HBS campus in Boston. For more information and to see visiting hours, please visit the Baker Library website. About Baker Library Special Collections and Archives |
Mark Cautela
mcautela+hbs.edu
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