Front Book Cover

Winston E. Allen, author of "DON'T GET MAD, GET RICH" and "LIVE A PURPOSEFUL AND MEANINGFUL LIFE", newly published autobiography "I PRIED OPEN WALL STREET IN 1962", is so much more than the title reveals. Dr. Allen's book is fascinating, riveting, historical and grossly entertaining, and has been getting much acclaim from critics and the general reading public alike. The story of Dr. Allen's true-life experiences that propelled Dr. Allen to ultimately form the first minority owned, independent, broker-dealer firm in the history of the United States. The title captures just a fraction of the extraordinary life of the author.

There are so many stirring experiences told that the reader was compelled to not put this book down. Dr. Allen's first gripping experience was as a 13-year-old boy, traveling, by train, from New York City to Miami, Florida in a sealed, locked compartment, in 1946 and how this experience shaped his life. Before leaving Penn Station in New York, Dr. Allen learned later in life that his parents provided gratuities to the black porter staff to ensure that their child would arrive safely in Miami. Being locked in this compartment for three days, Dr. Allen would only see the porters when they brought his meals to his compartment. 

Before arriving at Union Station in Washington DC, the porters entered his compartment and pulled the curtains shut to make sure no one would see Dr. Allen. Peeking through the curtains, Dr. Allen saw, for the first time, bathroom signs that read "WHITES ONLY" and "COLORED" in bold capital letters.

Thinking, since this is the capital, this is the only time he would see these signs. Dr. Allen recalls, as the train traveled further south, the worse things became. This experience had a great impact on Dr. Allen's life and Dr. Allen was resolute not to let anything deter him from seizing the advantages of whatever opportunities the future might hold for him.

In 1961, Dr. Allen earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Paris at the Sorbonne at the University of Paris. Remembering his 1946 train ride, Dr. Allen expected a similar experience, only to be flabbergasted that in Dr. Allen's own words, "My ethnicity was never an issue." This was a new and freeing experience as Dr. Allen traveled widely throughout Europe, never once experiencing any type of bias because of the color of his skin. This, again, was a life changing experience as Dr. Allen was determined never to let his ethnicity in the United States be an impediment in his life.

Returning to the United States in 1962, from his experiences and contacts made in Paris, Dr. Allen decided his career would be within the citadel of capitalism, on Wall Street. When telephoning for in-person job interviews, Dr. Allen was always warmly received and able to schedule a meeting. However, when arriving for the training course, Dr. Allen was never able to get past the front desk. As Dr. Allen explains, "You should have seen the look on their faces when I walked through the door." At every turn, Dr. Allen was turned away. Dr. Allen realized that he never had a problem scheduling an interview by telephone because Dr. Allen spoke in a highly educated dialect. It was then, in his commitment to himself, he vowed never to let anything stand in his way of achieving his goals. Dr. Allen took his destiny into his own hands and walks you through his trials and tribulations as he broke down the door on Wall Street and formed Creative Investor Services, Inc., a full service, independent broker-dealer firm, with all the rights and privileges of all the established brokerage firms on Wall Street. Dr. Allen personally trained up to 100 new registered representatives to the exact position that he was denied by Goldman Sachs.

As luck would have it, in 1968, the New York Times wrote a feature article about Dr. Allen and Creative Investor Services, Inc., which appeared on the front page of their business section. Continuing with Dr. Allen's good fortune, this article was read by then Canadian born, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Xerox Corporation, C. Peter McColough, who doggedly and relentlessly pursued Dr. Allen to head Xerox's international training program. After many attempts by Mr. McColough to recruit Dr. Allen, Dr. Allen acquiesced under one non-negotiable major condition, that Dr. Allen continue Creative Investor Services while representing Xerox Corporation. Mr. McColough agreed. These chapters in his book share Dr. Allen's experiences relocating further south to a position in Leesburg, Virginia while residing in Bethesda, Maryland where Mr. McColough creatively insured that Dr. Allen would be protected not only from the bias within Xerox but in the south as a whole. Just a fascinating read.

Dr. Allen shares with the reader, in his very uplifting, inspirational, dignified manner and without anger or resentment, other life obstacles, including buying homes in exclusive, closed neighborhoods, to joining various organizations, and how he overcame them.

As you continue to read this heartening book, you can vividly see and live Dr. Allen's experiences. His writing reads like a movie script. It reminds one of the movies The Green Book and Hidden Figures.

I Pried Open Wall Street in 1962 is a great and uplifting book that is destined to become a classic. It is a must read from one of America's beloved treasures.

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