FWA HISTORY
Eight women on Wall Street. Eight with vision, ambition, intelligence, energy and pride.

In 1956, eight women on Wall Street applied to join the Young Men's Investment Association. Denied admission, they formed their own Young Women's Investment Association. From their very first event—a luncheon with an invited speaker—their new organization continued to attract members, support and regard. Indeed, just one year later, The New Yorker magazine profiled the group, referring to it as “a growth situation.” And grow it did. In 2006, as the FWA celebrated its 50th anniversary, we are thriving, with over 1,000 members and a unique range of programs, affiliations and networks in New York and throughout the world.

The founding members were mostly security analysts—the first professional position open to women on Wall Street then—and soon grew to include bankers, brokers, traders, management consultants, financial analysts, portfolio managers, economists, lawyers and more. By 1965,the name was changed to the Young Women's Financial Association of New York to reflect their now-broader scope across all financial fields.

The Financial Women's Association of New York took its present name in 1971, when the upper age limit, originally 35, then 41, was eliminated entirely, as members began moving into the highest-ranking senior management positions typically achieved after 40.

Along the way, the FWA has continually expanded its focus as our members' career, business and community interests grew. Now, FWA activities are conceived and delivered through 22 committees that mentor, develop and showcase today's leaders and tomorrow's, from throughout our industry and in the wider society in which we live.

The FWA's community outreach has involved an ongoing, multifaceted focus on professional development and coaching to nurture the next generation of leaders. The FWA College Connection Program, for example, commenced in 1975 and has since partnered Wall Street with academia to provide summer interns with mentoring by FWA members concerning career opportunities in finance. Hundreds of students have had an opportunity to participate in a wide network of financial professionals.

In 1976, the FWA founded its Educational Fund. The FWA awarded its first scholarships in 1983, to women enrolled in graduate MBA programs. In 1987, the FWA expanded the program to high school graduates who enrolled in four-year colleges following participation in the FWA's Mentoring Program at Murry Bergtraum High School, a public school in New York. To date, over 230 outstanding students have benefited from FWA scholarships.

In 2006, the FWA's cumulative scholarship total exceeded $1.1 million dollars!

For more than 20 years, the FWA has gone abroad, each year targeting a destination where fundamental investment and business opportunities are growing. The FWA's initial trip was to China, in 1977, where we were one of the first groups to visit after its reopening. The globalization of finance led the FWA to initiate an annual series of international business conferences in 1985. In each location, FWA delegations have met with the most senior government and business leaders—including the King of Spain and the Presidents of Mexico, Poland and the Republic of Ireland—to learn the nation's investment potential and the government's role in fostering economic expansion. FWA delegations have now met in over 30 cities on six continents, making contacts and establishing networks with local leaders and professionals.

The FWA has provided access to the senior business and government leaders in the United States as well. From the start, FWA events have given members access to top executives in all sectors of the financial world. Since 1981, the FWA has held its annual “Washington Briefing” in our capital, meeting with prominent leaders in each branch, including then-Vice President George H. W. Bush and cabinet secretaries of three administrations, on key economic, government and industry matters.

FWA members have been quick to employ their foresight to address wide-ranging issues impacting women financial professionals. The Working Mothers Committee was established in 1978 and was soon featured in Working Mothers magazine. The Entrepreneurs Committee was begun in 1988 by and for members who had begun or were considering forming their own firms.

In 2004, the FWA again forged ahead in founding its Women's Leadership Institute, a new stage in the FWA's ongoing commitment to furthering members' professional growth. The Women's Leadership Institute was created to offer high-achieving executive women new opportunities to enhance their influence and visibility while benefiting from peer mentoring and a support network of influential allies.

Throughout its 50 years, the FWA has been at the forefront of envisioning, developing, achieving and showcasing the advancement of professional women in finance. Through FWA networks, members continue to explore and address opportunities and challenges intrinsic to financial women's leadership.

FWA Past Presidents

2008-09 Kristin McDonough 1981-82 JoAnn Heffernan Heisen
2007-08 Lily Klebanoff Blake 1980-81 Susan G. Fisher (Greenwood)
2006-07 Martha Clark Goss 1979-80 Candace Straight
2005-06 Judith Mellars 1978-79 Melinda Lloyd
2004-05 Kelly Mathieson 1977-78 Susan Dollinger
2003-04 Mary Rudie Barneby 1976-77 Elaine Rees
2002-03 Joan S. Green 1975-76

M. Helen Anderson (Fisher)
2001-02 Betsy L. Werley <August 31, 2009 Sheila M. Baird
2000-01 Kimberly L. Quinones 1973-74 Bernadette M. Bartels (Murphy)
1999-00 Pamela J. Packard 1972-73 Martha S. Sproule
1998-99 Lenore C. Albom 1971-72 Katherine A. Young
1997-98 Dominique Martinet 1970-71 Susan G. Peet
1996-97 Jeannette G. Hobson 1969-70 Susan G. Peet
1995-96 Gail S. Miner 1968-69 Elizabeth Richardson Ralston
1994-95 Debra D. Flanz 1967-68 Elizabeth Richardson Ralston
1993-94 Ruth L. Finch (Powers) 1966-67 Marguerite Beer Platt
1992-93 Mina Baker Knoll 1965-66 Marguerite Beer Platt
1991-92 Barbara B. Roberts 1964-65 Kathleen A. Blair
1990-91 Lucille V. Corrier 1963-64 Joan Leibo
1989-90 Barbara M. Reno 1962-63 Janet C. Gill
1988-89 Heidi S. Steiger 1961-62 Joan C. Merrell
1987-88 Margaret N. Newborg 1960-61  
1986-87 Myra L. Tobin 1959-60  
1985-86 Norma N. Niehoff-Emerson 1958-59  
1984-85 Myrna Z. Weiss 1957-58 Joan Williams (Farr)
1983-84 Ellen Sills-Levy 1956-57 Nancy Zuger
1982-83 Pamela Jane Newman    
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  Last updated:
  August 31, 2009