Cooper Union

1859 - present

Cooper Union was established in 1859 founded by Peter Cooper, a known philanthropist, inventor, and industrialist. Cooper Union focuses on providing a higher education institution ranging from humanities, social sciences, architecture, and engineering. There are three undergraduate programs offered ranging from architecture, fine arts, and engineering as well as graduate degree programs in architecture and engineering. When Peter Cooper established it, the Cooper Union was free for the working class, open to women, and had no legal codes of segregation or "color bar" (Cooper Union, History, 2024). Cooper Union continues to stay committed to Peter Cooper's mission of providing accessible education, so Cooper Union provides half-tuition scholarships to all admitted students (Cooper Union, Degree Programs, 2024). The Cooper Union was also significant in American history because Lincoln gave a speech in the Great Hall which he accredited as "a major role in his rise to the White House" (Cooper Union, History, 2024). The NAACP had its first meeting in the Great Hall in 1909. Also, the organized workers on the Lower East Side held a meeting regarding the labor movement in the Great Hall at Cooper Union.

Details

Category
University
Instructional Level
Graduate, Undergraduate
Audience
Adults
Founder(s)
Peter Cooper
Corporate Body
The Trustees consist of 19 individuals including 2 Student Trustees and 7 Alumni Trustees in addition to Representatives to the Board: Raffaele Bedarida, a Full-Time Faculty member, Steven Hillyer, and Beverly Joel.
Tags
Accessibility, Desegregation, University, Philanthropy

Location

  • 30 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003
    1859 - present

References

  1. The Cooper Union. (2024). History of Cooper Union . The Cooper Union. https://cooper.edu/about/history
  2. The Cooper Union. (2024). Trustees. The Cooper Union. https://cooper.edu/about/trustees