Cooper Union, New York City

Cooper Union, New York City, in winter
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cooper_Union.jpg
Author: Postdlf


Cooper Union, or in full The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, is a privately-funded college in Manhattan, New York City. It is located at 7 East 7th Street, in the East Village.

Cooper Union was founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper, the 19th century industrialist and inventor, who is also one of the richest man in America in his time. Although he came from a poor background and had only one year of schooling, Cooper went on to design and build the first steam locomotive in the United States. His businesses included everything from steel to iron, real estate to insurance, railroads, telegraphy and even glue. Cooper also invented instant gelatin, and with the help of his wife created what would eventually become known today as Jell-O.

For all his successes, Peter Cooper's ultimate dream is to give talented young people the opportunity that evaded him, which was to provide good tertiary education and make it as "free as air and water". To this effect, he founded The Cooper Union, a college that provide free classes to the deserving.

Statue of Peter Cooper in front of Cooper Union, in winter
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PeterCooperUnion.jpg
Author: GK


The six-storey college building was the first building to be built with rolled-iron I-beams which again, was invented and produced by Cooper. The building was inscribed as a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

Today, 150 years after the founding of his college, Cooper Union continues to be one of the few American institutions to offer full-tuition scholarship to the students that it admits. The scholarship is worth US$130,000 as of 2008. It makes Cooper Union one of the most selective colleges in the United States. The possibility of gaining entry to Cooper Union's school or art and architecture is just 5%, meaning there's a 95% chance of rejection.

To learn more about Cooper Union, you can visit their website at www.cooper.edu.

How to reach Cooper Union

Take train 6 to Astor Place subway station. Walk east on Astor Place and you will reach Cooper Union, the red building on your right at Cooper Square.

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