When William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, H’24, was a 1L at Syracuse University College of Law, he ran for class president, winning by just one vote over another student by the name of Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68, H’09.
“My claim to fame is that the only election Joe ever lost was to me,” Brodsky says of his classmate who would go on to become the 46th president of the United States.
However, Brodsky’s “claim to fame” runs much deeper, as he not only has an impressive 50-year career in financial services but has also shown a true commitment to the College of Law and Syracuse University through his time, expertise, financial contributions, and the credit he gives to Syracuse Law as a root of his success.
“We ended up as a group of very successful lawyers,” he says of the 88 students in his law school class.
This spring, Brodsky was recognized with a 2026 Syracuse Law Honors award for his many contributions, including his most recent—helping to secure an official portrait of former President Joseph R. Biden, which will hang in the Dineen Hall Library, and assisting in coordinating the president’s visit for the unveiling.
Law Degree Helps Establish a Prestigious Financial Career
While Brodsky spent the first eight years of his career practicing law, he later chose to take the skills he learned in law school to the financial sector. He began in the legal and compliance department at investment firm Model, Roland & Co. The firm had purchased a charter seat on the newly established Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), where, for the first time, call options were being traded. Brodsky’s firm tasked him with studying the new rules and taking the first CBOE options exam to qualify the firm.
In 1973, a turbulent time for the stock market, Brodsky’s wife urged him to set himself apart by writing an article on rules of the CBOE. He wrote an article for a prominent securities publication that was widely read, making Brodsky an options expert on what is today considered one of the most important stock market innovations of the 21st century. This expertise helped him obtain his next job at the American Stock Exchange where he worked as a securities lawyer, rising through the ranks until he reached executive vice president in 1979.
Three years later, he took a chance and moved his family from the East Coast to the Midwest to join the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as an executive vice president and chief operating officer. In 1985, he was appointed CEO and served in that position until 1987. He later moved to the CBOE as president and also chairman, a position he held for 20 years and during which he took the company public with great success. In 2008, while at the CBOE, he was named chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges, a role he held until 2010. In 2019, he was named chairman of Navy Pier, Inc., a Chicago landmark.
It was early 2022, when his law school friend and rival for class president, Biden, nominated him as a director for the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC); he was confirmed by the Senate later that year. Today, he is chairman of Cedar Street Asset Management, founded by his son, Jonathan; and Bantamac Capital, founded by his son, Michael.
Orange Through and Through
Despite his demanding career, Brodsky never forgot his start at Syracuse. Before law school, he graduated from the University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He met his wife, Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68, H’24, at Syracuse, and together they raised three sons, all of whom “went Orange,” too: Michael B. Brodsky, ’90; Stephen A. Brodsky, ’93; and Jonathan P. Brodsky, ’96, G’96; as well as their grandson, Matthew Brodsky ’23, G’24.
In 1983, Brodsky received the George Arents Award, the highest alumni honor presented by the University for outstanding contributions in a chosen field.
He served as a member of Syracuse University’s board of trustees from 1987 to 2003, helping guide the financial strength and long-term goals of the institution on the Investment and Endowment Committee. Today, he continues to impart his wisdom and expertise through his emeritus status on the board.
In 2015, Brodsky was the commencement speaker at the Syracuse University College of Law. And in 2024, he and his wife were granted honorary degrees by Syracuse University—the first alumni couple to receive such an honor.
Supporting Initiatives at Syracuse Law and University-wide
Together, Brodsky and his wife have been generous supporters of many initiatives on campus, including creating the Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation, which is now in its 21st year and very dear to Joan, an expert in book and paper conservation; the Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics Program at the Maxwell School, named in honor of a long-time constitutional law scholar and one of Brodsky’s most influential mentors; The Eleanore and Marcus I. Breier Digital Learning Center, the first “hot” classroom to fully integrate current technology, in honor of Joan’s parents, at the School of Information Studies (iSchool); and, the Helen and Irwin Brodsky Scholarship in honor of Brodsky’s parents, which is an endowed annual support scholarship for students at the law school.
In addition, Brodsky has spent many years contributing his professional expertise not only to University leadership but also to students, readily sharing his career journey at speaking engagements and events at the law school.
Reaching Out to a Law School Friend
Recently, Brodsky helped manage a truly outstanding feat of which any law school or university would be tremendously proud. When former Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud wanted to commission an official portrait of Biden to be exhibited at his alma mater, he asked Brodsky to ask the president.
“I never say no,” says Brodsky of his willingness to help. He and the president had kept in touch over the years, and, in 2024, Brodsky and his wife were invited to the White House for a presidential farewell gala.
“I just leaned over to Joe and asked him if he’d be willing to do it,” Brodsky explains. “His immediate response was, ‘Who would have thunk it?’, but he was very humbled by the gesture and agreed.”
A Presidential Visit to Syracuse Law
Fast forward to April 14 of this year, when the president and the Biden family joined 18 other members of the Syracuse Law Class of 1968, including Brodsky; University dignitaries, Dean Terence Lau L’98, and state and local officials, including New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul, in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall to unveil the presidential portrait. Biden thanked Syracuse Law for the honor and the foundation his law school education gave him.
According to Brodsky, the president “waxed poetic” about how Syracuse Law changed his life by giving him a scholarship and a resident advisership to pay his room and board, while also noting how he felt a “warmth and outpouring of love at the law school.”
The president also noted how proud he was that his late son, Beau Biden L’94, was also a graduate of Syracuse Law. The Beau Biden L’94 Memorial Scholarship was established after his death to provide financial assistance to students at the College of Law with a specific interest in children’s rights, protecting victims of abuse, and/or helping society’s most vulnerable. Once Brodsky and his classmates knew Biden was coming to the portrait unveiling, they generously gave to double the amount of the endowment as a gift to the president, extending the scholarship’s impact by providing sustained support that enables today’s students to focus more fully on their academic and professional goals.
The portrait unveiling was a proud moment, and Brodsky was elated to watch his former classmate honored. The president’s portrait is permanently displayed in the Dineen Hall Law Library.
Integrity, Leadership, and Enduring Commitment to Service
Brodsky’s enthusiasm for all things Syracuse only continues to grow and being selected for the 2026 Syracuse Law Honors award is an outward sign of appreciation for the depth of devotion to his alma mater.
“Bill Brodsky represents the very best of what Syracuse University College of Law strives to instill in its graduates—integrity, leadership, and an enduring commitment to service,” says Richard Alexander L’82, chairman emeritus, Arnold & Porter; chair of the Syracuse College of Law Board of Advisors, and a member of the executive committee of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees.
“Over more than five decades, he has distinguished himself at the highest levels of the financial world, while never losing sight of the institution that shaped his path. His steadfast support of the College of Law, his generosity, and his role in strengthening meaningful connections that elevate the School’s national profile speak volumes about his character. Bill is not only deserving of the 2026 Law Honors Award—he exemplifies its purpose.”