The mission of The Spread Wings Foundation is to educate students and learners of all ages about the history of the United States financial hub.

Spread Wings Foundation focuses on helping young people develop an interest in entering the financial job market, empowering entrepreneurs and businesses.

The foundation’s activity has been the distribution of copies of the book Wall Street: Financial Capital to students of finance, especially high school through graduate programs, who are studying American financial history, free of charge to them.

Get in touch if you’re interested in having Spread Wings impact your school or organization.

“Robert Gambee’s photographs speak magic! This book portrays Wall Street at its best. The magnificent buildings, board rooms and trading floors are a testament to the people and companies, both American and international, who have created this unique financial capital. The cream of the coffee table books!” — The New York Times

“The most complete portrait of the financial community ever published, with truly first rate photography.” — Malcolm Forbes, Jr.

“How rich in history, as the widely informative captions corroborate, and may I emphasize that this is as much an engrossing text on Wall Street and its men and institutions as it is a marvelous pictorial survey. In addition to its great arks and ziggurats, Gambee seems to have missed few of Wall Street’s more picturesque chinks, corners and coigns, and the reader is led to each through angles of vision which by most definitions known to me deserve the name of artistry. It is all here: the banking houses, clubs, churches, the spires and rotundas, the corner offices and trading bedlams which make up America’s Rome, its Nineveh and Tyre. We recommend this book without hesitation!” — The Washington Post

“Brilliant Photography.” — The Boston Globe

“An Outstanding Photographer!” — Forbes Magazine

“Magnificent, startling and dramatic photography!” — United Press International

Wall Street

Wall Street equates to the world’s greatest capital markets. In its origins it is the most famous address in America. Main Street and State Street may be more common; there is only one Wall Street. It summarizes in two words the greatest financial center in the world, whose stock and bond markets exceed all others. It is a short street that begins at the steps of a church and ends in a river, yet it is a street where more fortunes have been made (and lost) than any other.

Testimonials

  • Kansas Council for Economic Education

    “Our organization is very pleased with the book entitled ‘Wall Street: Financial Capital’ that your foundation has provided to us without charge for several years. We have distributed hundreds of copies to K-12 students and their teachers throughout the state of Kansas. We highly commend your foundation for providing this book, which should be of interest to anyone studying the capital markets. Thanks again for helping us to increase the economic and financial literacy of students in Kansas.” — Chairman and CEO Kansas Council

  • Economics Center, Cincinnati

    “We are so appreciative of this opportunity… We hold an annual event every year as a fundraiser… It’s our 4oth anniversary, so we wanted to do something special. Part of that something special will include providing a copy of the book to every attendee.” — Executive Director, Economics Center, Cincinnati, OH

  • Harvard Business School

    “I can’t think of a student who wouldn't be delighted to add this book to his or her collection. It looks amazing and I’m grateful for the generosity of you and others in making it available.”

  • Georgia State University

    “We have been providing copies of the wonderful book 'Wall Street: Financial Capital' to students and teachers throughout Georgia for a number of years as the book does an excellent job of bringing Wall Street to life. The incredible photos and accompanying stories masterfully capture the important place Wall Street has played in our nation's history and continues to play in our ever-changing globalized economy. Thanks again for the books!”— Executive Director, Georgia Council on Economic Education

  • University of Delaware

    “On behalf of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE) at the University of Delaware, I want to express our sincere appreciation for the Spread Wings Foundation’s generous donation of copies of “Wall Street – Financial Capital” to more than 2,000 students and their teachers in 2018, 2019, and 2021. You have patiently and enthusiastically sent out boxes of books to teachers in most of the school districts in Delaware. The students were thrilled and honored to receive these books, especially noting their amazing photography and interesting narratives. Thank you so much for your continued support of economics and personal finance education in the classroom.” — Director, CEEE, University of Delaware

  • University of Detroit Mercy

    “I want to thank you for your generous support in providing the Wall Street books to our recent “Money Matters for Youth” program at Detroit Mercy for the youth of the inner city of Detroit last July. I can’t tell you how surprised they all were to receive such a well-produced picture biography of our country’s financial center! Your books, in a very important way, are an important step in educating the youth of today about the virtues, rather than the excesses of capitalism.” — Detroit Mercy Department of Economics

  • Roger Williams University

    “This book will be used as a recruitment tool for the Center for Advanced Financial Education (CAFÉ). In Café students manage two real dollar portfolios in preparation to become either equity analysts or traders on Wall Street. I see the book as a catalyst in driving their goals of future employment. Additionally, your book can be used as a recruitment tool for those finance majors who are not as familiar with Wall Street but need more of an introduction. Finally, this book will be rewarded to recent graduates and alumni who have used the Center for Advanced financial Education’s portfolio management program as the experiential learning tool need to be successful on Wall Street today.” — Professor of Finance, Gabelli School of Business

  • Finance Club, Harvard Business School

    “A copy of the book has been provided to each member of the club. These books were received with a great deal of appreciation and excitement. The book, with its brilliant photography and insightful anecdotes, brings to life the storied Wall Street firms our members aspire to work at and eventually lead.”

  • Gabelli School of Business

    “On behalf of the Graduate Finance Society at the Gabelli School of Business, we want to express our gratitude for the generous donation.… Students will receive copies of this book when they attend our cornerstone gathering and all who has looked through it so far are excited to get their own copy.” — Fordham Financial Society

  • Michigan Council on Economic Education

    “The Michigan Council on Economic Education thanks you for your offer to donate copies of your book to distribute to students interested in finance. For the first time ever we will be hosting a Personal Finance Challenge in 2016 and would love to present each student who qualifies for the State Finals a copy of the book while they are down at the Federal Reserve Bank in Detroit.”

  • University of North Texas

    “Our Center has been a recipient of free copies of “Wall Street: Financial Capital” books for years. The Center for Economic Education has been very active in the Stock Market Game, and the book has been used as a gift to teachers that participate by having student teams in the competition. Distributing copies of the book has been a central part of our annual awards banquet and the teachers love it. We appreciate the generosity of the Spread Wings Foundation.” — Director, Center for Economic Education, University of North Texas

  • High School Finance Teacher, Delaware

    “The books were delivered to my room this morning! Wow, great looking books! This is a special gift for the students. Thanks for all you do for students throughout Delaware. Your work through the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship helps bring valuable financial education to many students who otherwise would not have received it.” — Finance teacher at Christiana High School in Newark Delaware