SUMMER EVENTS
MUSEUM NEWS
THE TICKER
Volunteer Spotlight: Andrew Schmidt
Volunteer docent Andrew Schmidt has had a long and varied history with the Museum. He became interested in the institution when it was the“ Museum of American Financial History,” housed in the Standard Oil Building at 26 Broadway. After his first visit, he joined as a member and vividly recalls participating in a tour of the New York Mercantile Exchange for Museum members, during which the group had the opportunity to visit the palladium pits on the trading floor.
Andrew majored in math at Boston State College( subsequently incorporated into the University of Massachusetts at Boston) and obtained an MS in computer science from Marist College. Although his background is not in finance, he said he has been interested in the subject since his early teens, when he spent time on Wall Street while visiting his family in Queens.
Andrew’ s first job was as a YMCA youth director, after which he held positions in the computer departments of two companies prior to joining IBM in 1983. He worked at IBM for 31 years until
Andrew Schmidt( right) and Director of Education Chris Meyers on the NYSE floor.
his retirement on October 1, 2013, and he began volunteering at the Museum the following month. He holds the distinction of commuting the farthest of any volunteer— traveling over two hours from Poughkeepsie every Thursday to give tours to Museum visitors.
At the Museum, Andrew particularly enjoys working with high school and college groups.“ I really like giving them a sense of the importance of financial history, as well as Alexander Hamilton’ s place in society,” he said.
In April, Andrew traveled much farther than his commute to New York City for the benefit of the Museum. He visited two North Carolina sites— the Reed Gold Mine in Carrabus County and the site of the original US Mint in Charlotte— to research an article for Financial History magazine. His article on the North Carolina Gold Rush is scheduled to run in the Summer 2016 edition of the magazine.
When he is not volunteering, Andrew enjoys traveling, especially to London, where one of his favorite sites is the Bank of England’ s money museum. He is also the treasurer of a walking club called the Volkssport Club at West Point and holds an Amateur Radio Extra Class license( call sign W2BOS). He is married, with two married daughters, an 18-month-old grandson and another grandchild on the way.
SUMMER EVENTS
Jun 23
Jul 12
Jul 21
Ellen Feingold, curator of the Smithsonian’ s National Numismatic Collection on“ The Value of Money.” Talk followed by Q & A and book signing. 12:30 – 1:30 p. m. $ 5 includes Museum admission; members and students free.
Author Jeff Gramm on Dear Chairman: Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism. Talk followed by Q & A and book signing. 12:30 – 1:30 p. m. $ 5 includes Museum admission; members and students free.
Damien Cregeau on“ Mad Men in the Age of Downton Abbey: New York’ s Landmark Buildings in the Early 20th Century.” Presentation followed by Q & A. 12:30 – 1:30 p. m. $ 5 includes Museum admission; members and students free.
Aug 17 Author and historian Edward Lengel on First Entrepreneur: How George Washington Built His— and the Nation’ s— Prosperity. Talk followed by Q & A and book signing. 12:30 – 1:30 p. m. $ 5 includes Museum admission; members and students free.
For more information or to register online, visit www. moaf. org / events.
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JUN 1
1999
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Merrill Lynch announces that it is creating a feebased financial planning business, in addition to its commission-based brokerage business, and that investors will also be allowed to trade stocks themselves through the company’ s website. |
JUN 6
1934
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The Securities Exchange Act is signed into law. It creates the US Securities & Exchange Commission( SEC) and requires companies to file registration documents with stock exchanges and to file quarterly financial statements with the SEC. |
www. MoAF. org | Spring 2016 | FINANCIAL HISTORY 7