Fortitude: Janet Yellen’s journey from Brooklyn to Washington
President-elect Joe Biden officially nominated former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen for Treasury secretary Tuesday during the introduction of his economic team. If confirmed by the Senate, Yellen would be the first woman to hold the position.
The Fort Hamilton High School graduate, who chaired the Fed from 2014 to 2018, spoke during the conference about her Brooklyn roots and her father’s influence on her career.
“When he graduated from medical school during the Great Depression, he looked for a home and place to hang his shingle near the Brooklyn docks,” Yellen said. “That’s in Bush Terminal on the upper New York Bay, which was a thriving hub for manufacturing and transportation – and for the union workers whose livelihoods depended on them.”