History
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, established in 1859, is
among the nation's oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning.
The college, the legacy of Peter Cooper, occupies a special place in the history of
American education. It is the only private, full-scholarship college in the United
States dedicated exclusively to preparing students for the professions of
architecture, art and engineering.
Peter Cooper was a workingman's son who had less than a year of formal
schooling. Yet he went on to become an industrialist and an inventor; it was Peter
Cooper who designed and built America's first steam railroad engine. Cooper made
his fortune with a glue factory and an iron foundry. Later, he turned his
entrepreneurial skills to successful ventures in real estate, insurance, railroads and
telegraphy. He even once ran for president.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, established in 1859, is
among the nation's oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning.
The college, the legacy of Peter Cooper, occupies a special place in the history of
American education. It is the only private, full-scholarship college in the United
States dedicated exclusively to preparing students for the professions of
architecture, art and engineering.
Peter Cooper was a workingman's son who had less than a year of formal
schooling. Yet he went on to become an industrialist and an inventor; it was Peter
Cooper who designed and built America's first steam railroad engine. Cooper made
his fortune with a glue factory and an iron foundry. Later, he turned his
entrepreneurial skills to successful ventures in real estate, insurance, railroads and
telegraphy. He even once ran for president.
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| The New York Optimist February 2009 |
