The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Founding and early history The Cooper Union was founded in 1859 [ 19 ] by American industrialist Peter Cooper , one of the richest businessmen in the United States. Cooper was a workingman's son who had less than a year of formal schooling. Despite this, he designed and built America's first steam railroad engine and made a fortune with a glue factory and iron foundry. He was a principal investor and first president of the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company , which laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable , and once ran for President under the Greenback Party , becoming the oldest person ever nominated for the office by a political party . [ 20 ] [ 21 ] The interior of the Great Hall, c. 2005 Cooper's dream was to give talented young people the one privilege he lacked: a good education from an institution which was "open and free to all". [ 22 ] To achieve these goals, Cooper designated the bulk of his wealth to The Cooper Union. According to The New York Times in 1863, "It was rare that those of limited means, however eager they might be to acquire a knowledge of some of the higher branches of education, could obtain tuition in studies not named in the regular course taught in our public schools." [ 23 ] Discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or sex was expressly prohibited. [ 23 ]

Originally intended to be named simply "the Union", the Cooper Union began with adult education in night classes on the subjects of applied sciences and architectural drawing , as well as day classes primarily intended for women on the subjects of photography, telegraphy, typewriting and shorthand in what was called the college's Female School of Design. The early institution also had a free reading room open day and night, the first in New York City [ 24 ] (predating the New York Public Library system), [ 25 ] and a new four-year nighttime engineering college for men and a few women. [ 26 ] [ 27 ] In 1883, a five-year curriculum in chemistry was added as an alternative to the applied science (engineering) program. [ 28 ] A daytime engineering college was added in 1902, thanks to funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie . [ 26 ] Initial board members included Daniel F. Tiemann , [ 29 ] John E. Parsons , [ 29 ] Horace Greeley and William Cullen Bryant , and those who availed themselves of the institute's courses in its early days included Augustus Saint-Gaudens , Thomas Alva Edison [ 30 ] and William Francis Deegan . The Cooper Union's free classes have evolved into three schools: the School of Art, the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. Since 1859, the Cooper Union has educated thousands of artists, architects, and engineers, many of them leaders in their fields. [ 31 ] After 1864 there were a few attempts to merge Cooper Union and Columbia University , but these were never realized. [ 32 ] The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum , was founded in 1897 as part of Cooper Union by Sarah, Eleanor, and Amy Hewitt, granddaughters of Peter Cooper. Cooper Union in 1876

The Foundation Building Cooper Union's Foundation Building is an Italianate brownstone building designed by architect Fred A. Petersen , one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects . It was the first structure in New York City to feature rolled-iron I-beams for structural support; Peter Cooper himself invented and produced these beams. [ 33 ] Petersen patented a fire-resistant hollow brick tile he used in the building's construction. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] The building was the first in the world to be built with an elevator shaft, because Cooper, in 1853, was confident an elevator would soon be invented. However, he expected them to be cylindrical, so he designed the shaft in the shape of a circle. [ 36 ] The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961, [ 9 ] [ 37 ] [ 38 ] and a New York City Landmark in 1965, [ 39 ] and added to the Historic American Engineering Record in 1971. [ 40 ]

The Cooper Union has schools in architecture, fine art , and engineering. At present, these three fields represent Cooper Union's degree programs. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies provides classes and faculty to all three programs. [ 60 ] In 2002, the school decided to generate revenue by razing its engineering building and having it replaced with a commercial building, and replacing its Hewitt Building with a new building called 41 Cooper Square . [ 61 ] 41 Cooper Square Main article: 41 Cooper Square Cooper Union's 41 Cooper Square, seen from Cooper Triangle Park A new classroom, laboratory, and studio facility designed by Thom Mayne replaced the aging Hewitt Academic Building at 41 Cooper Square . In contrast to the Foundation Building, 41 Cooper Square is of modern, environmentally "green" design , housing nine above-ground floors and two basements. The structure features unconventional architectural features, including a full-height Grand Atrium, prevalent interior windows, a four-story linear central staircase, and upper-level skyways , which reflect the design intention of inspiring, socially interactive space for students and faculty. In addition, the building's design allows for up to 75% natural lighting , further reducing energy costs. In 2010, 41 Cooper Square became the first academic and laboratory structure in New York City to meet Platinum-level LEED standards for energy efficiency. [ 62 ] The building was funded in part by alumni donations, materialized in nameplates and other textual recognition throughout the building. [ 63 ] Main Atrium and Grand Staircase of 41 Cooper Square Primarily designed to house the Cooper Union's School of Engineering and School of Art, the new building's first eight above-ground floors are populated by classrooms, small engineering laboratories, study lounges, art studio space, and faculty offices.