Winter 2016: HHHP takes NYC!
From January 31st to February 2nd, the Fellows, coordinators, and two interns traveled to New York City for three days. We kept a busy schedule, visiting an array of institutions and taking in NYC culture.
NYC was paralyzed by a snowstorm just days before our arrival, but the weather was very cooperative during our visit!
Day 1
To kick off the weekend, we enjoyed a tour of the New York Historical Society, which was kindly arranged by IIE Cultural Affairs Ambassador Les Graifman. We walked through “Silicon City”, an exhibit that features NYC’s role in the development of computer technologies, a film on NYC history, and an eclectic gallery of paintings and other artwork—including a large curtain for a New York stage production created by Pablo Picasso. We also enjoyed “Superheroes of Gotham,” a new exhibit on the history of comics in NYC—and the enduring cultural resonance those comics continue to have throughout the nation and world.
After checking in at the New Yorker Hotel, the Fellows enjoyed free time for the rest of the afternoon. Most of them took a short walk down the street to Times Square.
Later that night, we enjoyed Italian food in Greenwich Village and enjoyed some jazz at the historic Village Vanguard.
Day 2
We had a very full Monday, beginning with a visit to the College Board. Senior Vice President Jim Montoya spoke to the Fellows about the Board’s efforts to expand opportunity for young people of all backgrounds to attain higher education. We also heard from Jon Roure, Senior Managing Director at Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN), who introduced YWLN and a project he directly oversees- the CollegeBound Initiative. We were particularly interested to learn how successful YWLN has been at providing disadvantaged young women access to high quality education.
We then took our charter bus across town to United Nations for a guided tour. We saw exhibits related to the Millennium Development Goals, global disarmament, and peace and security.
We then visited the Bank of New York Mellon, where president of Capital Markets Gary Strumeyer and other executives spoke about the BNY Mellon’s historic legacy and current operations. He then took us on a tour of the trading room. It was exciting to interact with leading professionals who have their fingers on the pulse of today’s capital markets.
That evening,Vicki Brooks, a former banker, trader, and senior executive at JP Morgan—and longtime colleague of HHHP Director Jack McCarthy—hosted us for dinner at the University Club of New York. Vicki was among the first women on Wall Street, and she was instrumental in developing and leading leadership development at JP Morgan, one of the world’s largest and most prominent investment banks. She and her husband, David Lawrence, gave us a tour of the beautiful University Club building, and afterwards we enjoyed a delicious dinner and lively discussion.
The University Club of New York is a private social club located at 1 West 54th Street at Fifth Avenue. It received its charter in 1865.
Day 3
On Tuesday, we began with a visit to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Rita Gail Johnson, Director of the RFK Compass Program, and Amie Patel, Vice President of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, spoke with the Fellows about the nascent but burgeoning field of impact investing. Some of our deepest discussions of the NYC trip took place during this meeting.
Next, we enjoyed the BU HHHP’s first-ever visit to the iconic Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where Vice President and Head of Outreach & Education Anand R. Marri and one of his colleagues presented on monetary policy in the U.S. Our new friends at the NY Fed expressed interest in building a relationship, which is particularly exciting to us in light of the wonderful and longstanding relationship we have with the Boston Fed.
Later that day, we enjoyed a tour of the trading floor and discussions with traders at the New York Stock Exchange. Managing Director Camille Fredrickson and her colleague Olivia Ross provided an overview of NYSE history and its current operations. Then Kenneth Polcari, a veteran trader—who happens to be a native Bostonian and BU Alumnus—treated us to a vibrant portrayal of “the good old days”, when swarms of traders screamed and shouted on the floor rather than making trades electronically, as is the practice today. It was unforgettable to hear such stories as we stood right there, on the iconic trading floor where it all happened.
We concluded our NYC trip with a visit to one of its oldest buildings, Fraunces Tavern. This national historic landmark once served as a headquarters for General George Washington, a venue for peace negotiations with the British, and the administrative home of federal offices in the Early Republic. We visited its second-floor museum and then had some light refreshments downstairs before departing for Boston.
We arrived in Boston around midnight, more than ready for bed but happy to have enjoyed such a fantastic trip together.