Joseph Louis Searles III (January 2, 1942 – July 26, 2021) was the first black floor member and floor

broker A broker is a person or firm who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither role should be confu ...

in the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...

. Searles was born in Asheville, North Carolina. He graduated and played football at Kansas State University, then played professionally for the New York Giants. He subsequently became an aide to New York mayor

John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...

. He was a member of the Stock Exchange Luncheon Club and

The New York Young Republican Club The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) is an organization for members of the Republican Party between the ages of 18 and 40 in New York City. The New York Young Republican Club is the oldest and largest chapter in the United States, founded ...

. He worked as a floor partner in the firm of Neuberger, Loeb and Company. In February 1970, he became the first black member of the NYSE. He later earned a law degree from Georgetown University.

References

Stock and commodity market managers Living people Kansas State University alumni 1942 births {{Stockexchange-stub