Financial Issues Forum and Fordham University’s Gabelli Center for Global Security Analysis presents Paulina Bren on She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street (VIRTUAL)

First came the secretaries from Brooklyn and Queens―the “smart cookies” who learned on the job despite the obstacles. Then came the first Harvard Business School grads, who, despite their hard-earned diplomas, often settled for less. Eventually came the yuppies of the 1980s in power suits and commuter sneakers.

In She-Wolves, award-winning historian Paulina Bren tells the story of the first generations of women who fought their way into the bad-boy culture and lavish opulence of the finance world. If the wolves of Wall Street made a show of their ferocity, the she-wolves did so with tough-as-nails persistence. Starting at a time when “No Ladies” signs hung across the doors of Wall Street’s clubs and unapologetic sexism and racism were the norm at top firms, Bren chronicles the remarkable women who demanded a seat at the table. She-Wolves is an engaging and enraging look at the collision of women, finance and New York from the go-go years to ground zero.

About the Author
Paulina Bren is an award-winning historian and professor at Vassar College, where she teaches international, gender and media studies. In addition to She-Wolves, she is the author of The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free. She lives in New York City.