Which U.S. president signed the law creating the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934?

Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934.

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 established the SEC as the federal agency responsible for administering and enforcing major U.S. securities laws. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the act during the New Deal response to the economic devastation that followed the 1929 stock-market crash.

The law targeted abuses exposed during the crash and the Great Depression, including misleading disclosures, market manipulation, and weak oversight of securities trading. It also required companies with publicly traded securities to provide regular financial information to investors.

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. became the SEC’s first chairman, despite criticism of his earlier Wall Street career. The agency’s creation complemented the Securities Act of 1933, which focused mainly on new securities offerings. Together, the laws formed the foundation of modern U.S. federal securities regulation.