I had just graduated High School in June of 1960. I was sixteen years of age. I turned seventeen just a few days after graduation and I was really proud of that fact. I was the youngest graduate in my graduating class of almost 1,000! I was also tied for the shortest person in the class as well… I was NOT proud of that! Only Brian, a boy who was in one of my classes was 4′ 9″ tall, like myself.
My favorite class in school was “Economics” with Mr. “Jerry” Tannenbaum, a strict, but terrific teacher. He taught English, English Grammar and Economics. His Economics class inspired me. It included “Investing in the Stock Market”.
Each person in my 30+ student class had the opportunity to pick five stocks and we would pretend to invest in each one. We determined what portion of our “account” was allotted to each of these stocks.
Every Friday, we would each get a copy to read of the Wall Street Journal and, for me, that was the most exciting day of the entire week. This class was the most exhilarating time for me in high school.
Even the marching band didn’t have the same allure for me. Even watching our terrifically talented sports teams didn’t have the same excitement.
When graduation day finally came, I started to prepare for my attempt to apply at 11 Wall Street, New York City, N. Y. 10005.
I had just turned 17 years of age on June 21st, a few days after graduation and I had gotten my “working papers” which allowed me to work at 17! The legal age at that time was 18.
Well, a few months later, (I believe, in mid September) I took the train to New York City and then caught the Subway to Lower Manhattan and walked a few blocks to the big entrance in the Wall Street building. My uncle was an optometrist and he worked a few blocks away. I had visited him a few times before, so I knew where I was going as I became familiar with that area.
I rode an elevator upstairs and met a woman who asked if I had an appointment. I replied, “No!” .. she asked me to wait outside, which I did.
A few minutes later, I was invited to fill out an application form. I did so and a few minutes after it was submitted, I was invited to come into another office to sit down.
A gentleman at a big mahogany desk greeted me and sat down, reading my information. He asked me to verify my age and asked me if I had any paperwork to prove my age. I handed him the copy of my birth certificate plus my “legal papers” and he got up and he told me he would be back in a few minutes.
I waited patiently for about five minutes and I prayed silently, “Please LORD grant me this opportunity to land this dream job?”
Five minutes later, the gentleman said, “Congratulations young man, your application was accepted!”
What size jacket do you wear .. I said, “Small Sir”. What size pants do you wear Again, I said, “Small Sir” “You will need to wear black shoes”. Do you have a pair?”, He asked. I replied affirmatively and was so excited, I couldn’t wait to tell my family that I had my first real job. This happened on a Friday and so the next business day I would actually start this incredible position of such great responsibility.
I told my family who became excited for me. I thought they would be very supportive, since I was not someone who would not take on something which was of no interest. I had my share of “menial” jobs including newspaper delivery boy, a “Go-fer” boy at a local luncheonette and lugging beer cases at a local drug store. This was a real “dream” job.
On a Monday, I arrived at the building at 11 Wall Street and returned to the same office and was given a gray jacket to wear. This was one which was only worn by the “Pages” who worked on the floor of the exchange itself. I was given a badge which allowed me to be admitted onto the “floor”.
When I first arrived, I was astounded at the huge hall, itself. The ceiling was several stories high and the noise was very loud and I heard a constant ticker tape sound almost constantly.
I met a gentleman who was in charge of all the pages. He led me around giving me a tour of the floor and I learned what different chores which I needed to fulfill, in order to do my job. I was introduced to a few Brokers, the “Specialists” and the heads of the various departments. I truly felt like royalty while all this was happening. To me, this was just like a Beatles’, “Magical Mystery Tour”!
Before I started actually working, I was given a booklet and told to study it and return the next day, my first day of actual work. Before I left, four or five other pages approached and asked me where in New York, I lived. I replied, “Irvington, New Jersey”. Their mouths dropped, “What? .. you mean that you live in the swamps?”…. (to most New Yorkers, I discovered, they hadn’t been past the large oil tanks along the New Jersey Turnpike and besides, the terrible stench, they thought that the entire state was filled with swamps. Well, it was true, there were plenty of places in New Jersey, in which, this was true.
At that time, there was no “New Jersey Devils”, “Brendan Byrne Arena” or even the “Meadowlands Raceway”. The New York “Football Giants” were still located in New York. The New Jersey Nets had just moved to New Jersey but were playing in the “Other League” and had their games played at Rutger’s Field House in nearby, Piscataway, New Jersey.
I explained that New Jersey has many “hopping attractions” which New York has, but just doesn’t have the tall buildings or an underground subway like in the big city. I was even asked, “How can you sleep with all the crickets?” “CRICKETS?” I replied.
Then they asked me, “Do you know someone here who is a broker? An Uncle, a Cousin? Someone who sponsored you? I replied, “No .. I really don’t know anyone!” “I just applied at the office upstairs and got the job!”
One page replied, “I guess they are hiring just anyone nowadays!” I had no answer for that hurtful remark.
But the fact was … I was now “officially”, a page on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, the largest securities trading market in the whole world.
Was I excited?? … YOU CAN BET I WAS!
Stay tuned for : A Page at the New York Stock Exchange (PART TWO)