diff --git a/gtsam/gtsam.i b/gtsam/gtsam.i
index 3a6c6edf1..3ebe71538 100644
--- a/gtsam/gtsam.i
+++ b/gtsam/gtsam.i
@@ -1936,6 +1936,21 @@ class KalmanFilter {
 //*************************************************************************
 
 #include <gtsam/inference/Symbol.h>
+
+class Symbol {
+  Symbol();
+  Symbol(char c, uint64_t j);
+  Symbol(size_t key);
+
+  size_t key() const;
+  void print(const string& s) const;
+  bool equals(const gtsam::Symbol& expected, double tol) const;
+
+  char chr() const;
+  uint64_t index() const;
+  string string() const;
+};
+
 size_t symbol(char chr, size_t index);
 char symbolChr(size_t key);
 size_t symbolIndex(size_t key);
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/Symbol.h b/gtsam/inference/Symbol.h
index 42cdbb1c3..d5699e7fe 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/Symbol.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/Symbol.h
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ public:
   /** Create a string from the key */
   operator std::string() const;
 
+  /// Return string representation of the key
+  std::string string() const { return std::string(*this); };
+
   /** Comparison for use in maps */
   bool operator<(const Symbol& comp) const {
     return c_ < comp.c_ || (comp.c_ == c_ && j_ < comp.j_);