On this day in March 1950, Ferdinand Pecora, who attended New York Law School from 1903-1905, delivered the Commencement Address for the law school’s commencement exercises at the New York County Lawyers’ Association. Pecora received an Honorary Degree from the Law School in 1958.

He was best known in his role as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Banking and Currency, where he was instrumental in the post-Wall Street Crash of 1929 congressional hearings that led to the enactment of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which represented fundamental reforms to the American financial system.

Pecora went on to become one of the first SEC Commissioners, as well as a Justice of the New York Supreme Court.

See more at: https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/distinguished_judges/2/