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In the Studios of Cooper Union
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Arts was founded in 1859. The institution began as a night school hosting courses in architectural drafting and the applied sciences, also hosting day-time classes in the Female School of Design instructing women in then-new technologies such as photography, telegraph, and typewriting. Peter Cooper's humble beginnings inspired a pedagogical model that offered working-class men and women upward mobility, at the same time instilling a sense of social responsibility that would create highly active citizens.
Cooper Union Foundation Building
The seven stories of the Foundation Building made it the tallest building in lower Manhattan at the time of its completion in 1859. Artists' studios, classrooms, a museum, library, and the renowned Great Hall were all located in this brownstone - including a cylindrical elevator shaft that pre-dated the invention of the elevator.
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41 Cooper Square
The Hewitt Building was constructed in 1912 across the street from the Foundation Building. It was named for Abram Hewitt, who altered his father-in-law's original motto for the institution: "open and free to all," to the better-known slogan: "as free as air and water."
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
Talented painters such as this young woman were admitted to the school based on the quality of their portfolio even back in the day. By 1915, the student body consisted of 3,500 students.
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
The institution was one of the first schools in the country to admit women. Notable alumni include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Eva Hesse.
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
Young men in this laboratory conduct chemical experiments in the Hewitt Building. Cooper Union’s Engineering School was founded in 1902 after a contribution from Andrew Carnegie, who also sponsored the construction of a new building at 41 Cooper Square
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
In the metal shop, students mill raw material into intricate sculptures. The School of Art and Architecture, which was co-ed, was founded after the architecture program merged with the Women's School of Design.
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
The Museum for Arts of Decoration was located on the fourth floor. Opened by three of Peter Cooper's granddaughters, Sarah Cooper Hewitt, Eleanor Garnier Hewitt, and Amy Hewitt Green, the museum was briefly (and controversially) closed from 1963-68, until the Smithsonian gained possession and re-opened it in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion.
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Cooper Union Foundation Building
Peter Cooper 's legacy lives on today, with the institution offering degrees in Architecture, Engineering, and Art. Cooper's mission of keeping the school "as free as air and water," briefly took a detour in 2014, but as of January 2018, the institution aims to go back to being tuition-free by 2028.
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