Toward Our Centennial

Planning for the Centennial

The Federal Reserve System was created on December 23, 1913, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. Before the new central bank could begin operations, the Reserve Bank Operating Committee, consisting of Treasury Secretary William McAdoo, Secretary of Agriculture David Houston, and Comptroller of the Currency John Skelton Williams, had the task of building a working institution from the basic framework of the new law. By November 16, 1914, the 12 regional Reserve Banks were open for business.

Today, the Federal Reserve sets the nation’s monetary policy, supervises and regulates banking institutions, maintains the stability of the financial system, and provides financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions.

Get Involved

The Federal Reserve is compiling an inventory of historical Federal Reserve documents and items. Do you have information about collections, or do you have documents or items that should be added to the inventory? Please let us know by submitting details here.

Federal Reserve System Centennial Advisory Council

Former Federal Reserve Chairmen Paul A. Volcker and Alan Greenspan are serving as honorary co-chairs of a Centennial Advisory Council along with 24 other individuals representing a range of private- and public-sector organizations. A list of members is available on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors’ website.

Frequently Asked Questions and Historical Collections

Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the Centennial commemoration and the inventory of historical collections are available on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors’ website. See the “Related Resources” section at right for more items from the Philadelphia Fed.

Last update: May 30, 2012

Related Resources

The Philadelphia Fed’s Historical Inventory (106 KB, 10 pages)
The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking (2.99 MB, 20 pages)
The Second Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking (3.80 MB, 14 pages)
The State and National Banking Eras: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking (3.07 MB, 20 pages)
What Is the Fed?
Who We Are, What We Do: An overview of the Bank’s important functions.

Contact Information

Federal Reserve Bank
of Philadelphia
Ten Independence Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19106-1574
(215) 574-6000
phil.webmaster@phil.frb.org

You can also refer to our directory of contacts.