On this day in 1966, Andrew Brimmer, the first Black governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was appointed

by

Andrew Brimmer gets sworn in by William McChesney Martin as a member of the Federal Reserve Board, the first African-American to hold that position. President Lyndon Johnson (right), Brimmer's wife, and his daughter Esther look on. (Robert L. Knudsen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Andrew Brimmer, the first Black governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on February 26, 1966, during the civil rights movement.

Prior to this role, Brimmer, with a Ph.D. from Harvard Business School, served as a staff economist at the Federal Reserve and as deputy assistant secretary of commerce under President John F. Kennedy.

During his tenure at the Reserve, spanning eight years, Brimmer focused on economic conditions for African Americans, researching wage and income disparities. He resigned in 1974 to teach at Harvard Business School.

Brimmer passed away at 86 on October 7, 2012.


Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

AURN Podcast Network


advanced divider
advanced divider
Advertisement