(JTA) — Muriel Siebert, the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, has died.
Siebert, who also became the first woman to head a member firm of the exchange as well as many other firsts, died Saturday in Manhattan from complications of cancer. She was 80.
Siebert also was the first woman to be appointed as superintendent of banking for New York State, a position she held for five years beginning in 1977.
She founded Muriel Siebert & Company in 1968, about a year after joining the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first woman to own and operate a brokerage firm that was a member of the exchange.
In joining the exchange, Siebert had to ask 10 men before she could find one to sponsor her application. She remained the only woman on the exchange for the next decade, according to The New York Times.
Siebert testified before government bodies about the discriminatory practices of many New York clubs, where much of her business’ networking took place.
She also encountered anti-Semitism in her profession, according to the Times — Siebert said it wasn’t uncommon at the time in her dealings with trust departments.
In 1983, she lost a bid for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Siebert donated millions of dollars to help other women get started in business and finance, according to the Times.
The Cleveland native came to New York in 1954, remaining there until her death.
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