In 1901, Wilma Soss made headlines as one of the first female clerks to work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. At a time when Wall Street was completely dominated by men, the 23-year-old Soss defied conventions by taking a job running orders between the exchange floor and the offices of E.A. Pierce & Co.
Soss had to brave jeers, wisecracks and skepticism from the all-male crowd of traders and clerks. One trader reportedly remarked "A woman belongs in the home - not here!" But Soss persevered, deftly carrying out her duties while hiking up her long skirts to keep pace.
Her uncommon employment drew tremendous media attention, with newspapers chronicling the "pretty, blushing clerk" bravely entering the "strange and rackety" den of masculine brokers. Photographers camped out to catch glimpses of Soss scurrying across the exchange floor.
Despite the hurdles, Soss excelled at her relatively low-level clerk position. She earned the respect of her male colleagues through her strong work ethic and cool demeanor under pressure. After two years, she moved on to other endeavors, but her pioneering role helped open doors for future generations of women on Wall Street. Soss' fascinating story symbolized the start of gender integration in the male-dominated financial world.
Soss had to brave jeers, wisecracks and skepticism from the all-male crowd of traders and clerks. One trader reportedly remarked "A woman belongs in the home - not here!" But Soss persevered, deftly carrying out her duties while hiking up her long skirts to keep pace.
Her uncommon employment drew tremendous media attention, with newspapers chronicling the "pretty, blushing clerk" bravely entering the "strange and rackety" den of masculine brokers. Photographers camped out to catch glimpses of Soss scurrying across the exchange floor.
Despite the hurdles, Soss excelled at her relatively low-level clerk position. She earned the respect of her male colleagues through her strong work ethic and cool demeanor under pressure. After two years, she moved on to other endeavors, but her pioneering role helped open doors for future generations of women on Wall Street. Soss' fascinating story symbolized the start of gender integration in the male-dominated financial world.