Chronology 1859-1876


1859 Jan. 24: Centennial of birth of Robert Burns celebrated at Cooper Union. (INPS) Apr. 13: New York State Legislature amends the 1857 Charter of Cooper Union, making its lands taxation free. (Mack, 246; Nevins, 179) Apr. 29: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Cooper sign Deed of Trust conveying the grounds and building. (Nevins, 175). Six original Trustees of The Cooper Union named in amendment passed by legislature: Peter Cooper, Edward Cooper, Abram S. Hewitt, Daniel F. Tiemann, John E. Parsons, and Wilson G. Hunt. (Nevins, 175) Aug. 24: Daniel F. Tiemann, Mayor of New York City. First meeting of Cooper Union Trustees. Peter Cooper joined the New York Chamber of Commerce. (Mack,. 277) James T. Hodge Assistant Secretary (Scrapbook #1, 1) Nov. 2: The Cooper Union officially opened. Address by John W. Draper at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7: Library Reading Room opened. Instruction began on this day. Subjects included: mathematics, Philosophy, design, chemistry, architectural, mechanical and free hand drawing, vocal music and debating. (Mack, 246) Thomas Addison Richards (1820-1900) was Director of the School of Design for Women (a day school) (Nevins, 274; Trustee Reports 1/60) Prof. Richard S. Smith, (1813-1877) appointed Director of the institution in July. (DAB) (Scrapbook # 1, 5). He was also Secretary, National Academy. Nov. 28: Death of Washington Irving at Sunnyside. 1860 Jan. 1. First Annual Report of the Trustees (1859-60). Issued in printed form until 1926; suspended until 1939 Until his death, Abram S. Hewitt was the actual executive head of Cooper Union. When Peter Cooper died in 1883 the other five trustees were still living, a sixth was never added. Wilson G. Hunt leaves Board in 1892. Feb.27: Lincoln's address in the Great Hall. (Mack, 272) May 10: 400 women meet in Great Hall to discuss "women's rights." Susan B. Anthony. June 6,8: Twenty-two examining committees visit Cooper Union to examine students. June 28: First Commencement at Cooper Union. (Scrapbook No. 1, p7) Aug.: 6: New Tompkins Market erected at Third Avenue & 7th Street Thomas Addison Richards retired and Mrs. Henrietta Field became principal of the School of Design for Women until1863 (Shaw) Cf. Trustee Reports 60/61. Sept.. 13: Carl Schurz speaks for Lincoln at Cooper Union. (DAB) Oct. 1: Richard S. Smith starts by-laws amended for duties of Director. Full three-year evening science course offered. (Mack, 269) Trustee Reports 60/61) Maginn building superintendent, until 1910. Edward Cooper delegate to Charleston Convention. Trustee Reports, 15) Oct. 12: Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and suite visited Cooper Union. (Trustee Reports 60/61, p.50, INPS p. 1888. Vol 5) Peter Cooper subsequently served as host to him at a large ball at the Academy of Music. (Mack, 292) Hughes resigned, succeeded by John C. Appleton as clerk. Dec. 15: Meeting of sympathizers for the family of John Brown at Cooper Union 1861 Jan. 1: Second Annual Trustees Report issued. 2000 copies printed. Abraham Lincoln inaugurated 16th President of the U. S. Mrs. Henry Mack Field begins as Director of School of Design. A. T. Stewart built the store (Broadway & 9th Street), later bought by John Wanamaker Company. (DAB) Apr. 5: Peter Cooper Hewitt (1861-1921), son of Abram S. Hewitt, born. (Nevins, 149) (DAB). He tried to follow his grandfather’s inventive bent. Worked on helicopter, and invented the popular Cooper-Hewitt light. Apr. 12: Attack on Fort Sumter. Catalog of the Cooper Union Library published. (Cooper Archives) Picture of Cooper Union in Valentine's Manual. Henry Ward Beecher spoke at Cooper Union. June: Resignation of Richard S. Smith, Director. Abram S. Hewitt manufactures gunmetal for the Union Army. Sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens enrolled in Cooper Union at age of 13. (Nevins, 275) Free readings in Polite Literature at Cooper Union every Wednesday night. Apr. 29: Women's Central Association of Relief founded at Cooper Union; later incorporated as part of the U. S. Sanitary Commission, which led in 1881 to the American Red Cross. (Woodcut in Peter Cooper by Gano Dunn, 16) Oct. 7: Appleton succeeded by Jas. H. Pullman as Clerk. 1862 Mar. 6: Carl Schurz speaks at Cooper Union. (DAB) (Speech printed by E. P. Putnam in Library). March: Abram S. Hewitt has interview with Lincoln. (Nevins, 205). Later visits England and acquires precious gunmetal data. (Nevins, 206-10) George Bancroft speaks at Cooper Union (INPS) Oct. 8: Great Union War Relief Meeting at Cooper Union. (pamphlet in Library) Oct. 9: Daniel S. Dickinson speech at Union Mass Restriction Meeting held at Cooper Union. (Speeches, 1867, Vol. II, pp. 195-211) 1863 Feb.: James H. Pullman resigned. Succeeded by J. S. Wood, clerk. Mar. 20: Proceedings at the organization of the Loyal National League at Cooper Union. (Wolrave) Twenty-one free popular lectures on social and political science given in the Great Hall. (Mack, 267) (Trustee Reports, 7/l/64) Peter Cooper a member of the Union League Club. (Mack, 280) Lincoln delivers the Emancipation Proclamation. Peter Cooper's letter to Governor Seymour on the death of slavery, printed by Loyal Publication Society. May: Mrs. Lucy A. Cuddehy appointed to succeed Mrs. Field as principal of the School of Design for Women. She served until 1866. May 14: Susan B. Anthony read an address to President Lincoln re. emancipation in Great Hall. June: Susan B. Anthony had an office in Room 20, headquarters of Women's National Loyal League. C. Jerome Hopkins appointed instructor, Orpheon Free Chorister Class; resigned 1869. Peter Cooper letter to President Lincoln on slavery. Sept. 30: Admiral Farragut speaks at Cooper Union. Sept. 30: Charles S. Stone appointed to teach chemistry. Peter Cooper revisits Mathew Vassar (Scrapbook) Sept.. 10: Speech by Hon. Charles Sumner on "Our Foreign Relations" in the Great Hall. Sumner was United States Senator from Massachusetts, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. (Pamphlet in Library) Oct. 16: Speech of Daniel S. Dickinson in Great Hall. (Speeches, p260-273) Dec. 22: Golden Wedding Fund of $10,000 set up by Peter Cooper for support of boys in lodging houses who were attending industrial schools. (Mack, 303) 1864 Thomas J. Bryan collection of 241 pictures, originally hanging in the gallery above the Library, given and moved to the New York Historical Society. (Mack, 266) (Trustee Reports 7/l/64) (Scrapbook #1, 8) June: The first five of the five-year graduates. Response of Peter Cooper to the graduates (Trustee Reports) Stephen C. Foster living in lower Bowery. Summer: Eleanor Gurnee Hewitt (1864-1924), third daughter of Abram S. Hewitt, born. (Wilmarth, 99) (Nevins, 149) Nov. 1: Mass meeting at Cooper Union, arranged by Peter Cooper, to reelect Lincoln. (Mack, 286) Departments of architecture and general science organized. James Wood, clerk, resigned. Clinton J. Hartt succeeds him 1865 Peter Cooper is President of the Citizen's Association. (Mack, 346) Peter Cooper formally retired; sells glue factory to his son and daughter and to his brother William and his children for $200,000. (Mack, 195) Apr. 9: General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox. Apr. 15: Lincoln assassinated. Andrew Johnson becomes 17th President of the U. S. June 7: Reception for Lt. General Grant in Great Hall. (See engraving in Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, 6/24/65). June: William Griffin succeeds C. J. Hartt as clerk. Joseph G. Fox is Principal of the Free Night School of Science and Art (Trustee Reports July 1, 1866; Scrapbook); served until 1869. Professor J. E. Frobisher has Saturday Night Literary Classes. Carl Hecker taught drawing and photography (1865-55, 1873-87) Oct. 9: Susannah Evans lectured on the "Armless Soldier." Orpheon free chorister class - ladies and boys during the day. Conducted by C. Jerome Hopkins. 1866 Dr. William Rimmer (d. 1879) engaged as Director of the Free Day School of Art for Women. (DAB) He served until 1869 (Trustee Reports 7/66, 15) (Nevins, 275) Culinary lectures offered at Cooper Union by Prof. P. Blot. (Nevins, 273) (Trustee Reports) Peter Cooper becomes President of the American Industrial League (Mack, 360) Approximate date of the eleven manuscript of Peter Cooper's autobiography (Mack, 386) Peter Cooper Glue Factory incorporated; Edward Cooper, President. (Nevins, 176; Mack, 195) June 20: Edward Ringwood Hewitt, (1866-1957) son of Abram S. Hewitt, born at Ringwood, N. J. (Nevins, 267); married in 1892. Atlantic Cable finally a success. (Mack, 234-5) Nov. 15: Peter Cooper speaks at a banquet given Cyrus Field by the Chamber of Commerce of New York. New York City Board of Education established a higher Night School. 1867 Apr. 16: Abram S. Hewitt visits Paris Exposition as one of the U. S. Commissioners. (Nevins, 239) Later he introduced the open hearth process into the United States. (Nevins, 14) (Trustee Reports, 1903, 14) Peter Cooper awarded diploma of American Institute for gelatine "equal if not superior to any made." Exhibition of 1867. May 6: Mark Twain (1835-1910) spoke on the Sandwich Islands in the Great Hall. (DAB) Alaska purchased by the United States. Nov. 11: Address by Horace Greeley - "'Success in Business." (Original in Cooper Collection) 1868 The Trustees By-laws printed in an edition of the Charter. Changed in 1938. American Banknote Company leases the top floor of The Cooper Union for 20 years. (Mack. 333-4) Vincent Colyer Curator in charge of management and general business with the public. (Trustee Reports July 1, 1868) Previous Curator was James T. Hodge, from 1859 to 1862. Peter Cooper President of The American Industrial League. Cooper Union Journal, Vol. 4, No. 176, 2/22/68, published by Literary Class. (original in Scrapbook) Peter Cooper member of American Sharpshooters Society, 3/15/68 Columbia Canal urged by Peter Cooper (Mack, 310) Peter Cooper co-signer of letter to Spanish people congratulating them on resolution. (Letter at Rutgers, c/o Wells) Sholes invented the typewriter. Elliot Cowdin speaks on Paris Exposition. Free Saturday lectures offered under the auspices of Cooper Union. (See recapitulation of programs in Trustee Reports, May 8, 1881, 26-9) Discussion of merger with Columbia College. (Mack, 265; Nevins, 276-8) 1869 U. S. Grant inaugurated 18th President. Feb.: J. Hopkins resigned (OTR). Here since 1863. Abortive merger with Columbia College discussed. (Mack, 265; Nevins, 278) May: George W. Plympton (1827-1907) appointed professor of philosophy, mechanism, and astronomy. Last year of Joseph G. Fox, first Director of the Night School. May: Mrs. Curtis in charge of Reading Room and Library. (OTR) June: Dr. William Rimmer (1816-1878) resigned as head of Day School of Art. (DAB) Class in telegraphy started under Lydia (Lizzie) H. Snow, Directress, Free Day School of Telegraphy for Women. (Trustee Reports, July 1, 1869) (Mack, 328; Nevins, 274) Dec. 19: Death of Mrs. Peter Cooper (1793-1869) (Nevins, 279) A telephone was exhibited by Philipp Reis. 1870 Fitz Gerald Tisdall, Jr., Ph.D., appointed Director of the Free Night Schools of Science and Art, succeeding J. G. Fox. He served until 1879. Free Night School of Telegraphy for Men established. Reception for J. G. Fox. Red Cloud, Lakota Chief (1822-1909) (DAB) addressed an audience in the Great Hall. (Scrapbook) (Mack , 301) Professor Benjamin Silliman addressed the Great Hall audience on the subject of the metric system. Free School for Women in Wood Engraving. Miss Charlotte B. Cogswell, Prop. (Trustee Reports) served until 1881. Miss Ellen E. Childe Proprietress of the Free Art School for Women. (Trustee Reports May 31, 1871 (Shaw) Professor Stone began organizing labs for chemical courses. Completed 1881. Professor J. C. Zachos lectured on Shakespeare. (Trustee Reports) (Mack , 328) First elevator (water balanced type) installed by Cyrus W. Baldwin. Ann Gurnee Hewitt (1785-1870), mother of Abram S. Hewitt, died. (Nevins, 149) Oct. 18: Birth of Gano Dunn. L. C. Levin Jordan, clerk. Died 1918, in service. Raymond lectures on Darwin. 1871 Erskine Hewitt, son of Abram S. Hewitt, born. (1871-1938) (Mack, 295; Nevins, 267) Feb. 12: Peter Cooper gave the institution $100,000, plus permission to draw on him for $50,000 more. (Mack, 334) Feb.: Free French classes taught at Cooper Union by Etienne Lambert. Feb. 22: Peter Cooper address to students. (Trustee Reports) May 31: Address of graduates to Peter Cooper and his reply. Victoria C. Woodhull lectured in Great Hall. (Mack, 332) Peter Cooper resigned as President of the Citizens Association. (Nevins, 355) June: Large deputation of Indian chiefs come east. Peter Cooper presides over meeting in Great Hall. 1872 Susan N. Carter appointed Principal of the Women Day Art School; resigned 1896 (Shaw) (Mack, 332) J. C. Zachos appointed Acting Curator of Reading Room and Library. (Trustee Reports) He died in 1898. 0. W. Morris Librarian, with Custodians. (Trustee Reports) In August, J. C. Zachos appointed Curator of Reading Room and Library. Feb. 10: Elliot C. Cowdin gave an address under the auspices of Cooper Union Trustees, in Great Hall on "France in 1870-7l." (Copy in Library) Oct. 6: Library opened on Sundays for the first time. Susan B. Anthony speaks for Women's Rights Association in The Great Hall on October 7. Department of Photography established under Carl Recker. (Trustee Reports 6/31/73) Dr. Zachos lectures on "Artistic Anatomy." (Trustee Reports, 22) Classes in phonography (stenography) offered for first time. (Trustee Reports 6/31/73, 13) Teacher: Mrs. E. Burns. Rules adopted by the Trustees for the government of instructors. N. Y. Whitehorne, 1872) Dec. 19: John Tyndall lectured in Great Hall - "Lectures on Light". (Mack, 331; Nevins, 273) 1873 Peter Cooper letter to Evangelical Alliance. Victoria Woodhull lectured at Cooper Union. Oct. 17 (Mack, 417) Trustees received from Wilson G. Hunt a certificate for one thousand gold stock of the State of New York, to be appropriated to annual prizes to deserving pupils. (Trustee Reports 6 May 30, 1874, 11) Mrs. Snow resigned as instructor in telegraphy. Miss Burns succeeds her. 1874 Feb. 12: Reception for Peter Cooper by the Arcadian Club of New York City. (Cooper Archives) (Mack, 298) Michael Pupin (1858-1935) (DAB) used Cooper Union Library and studied there subsequently. (Nevins, 275) Reception by Sorosis (women's organization) for Peter Cooper. (Mack, 298) Nov.: Abram S. Hewitt elected Representative from New York to Congress. (Nevins, 298) reelected in 1876.(Nevins, SW, p lx) (Nevins, 400) 1875 Jan. 20: William Cullen Bryant hears Zachos lecture on Burns. A normal course in drawing added to the Day curriculum. (Trustee Reports 5/29/75, 15) Peter Cooper awarded a patent for desiccating eggs and glue. (Mack, 304) May 12: Peter Cooper addressed Master Mechanics Association in New York. Abram S. Hewitt elected honorary member of Association of Architects. Department of Consultation for inventors established at Cooper Union. 350 persons advised in first year. (Trustee Reports 5/29/76, 8) Isadore Waley spoke on atomic theory in Great Hall. 1876 Jan. 10: Peter Cooper addresses mass meeting of working men and women in Great Hall. (Speech in Cooper-Hewitt papers) Peter Cooper visited the House of Representatives and was honored. (Mack, 299) First year of Bell telephone. Cf. earlier demonstration at Cooper Union. May 18: Peter Cooper nominated for President of the United States by the Greenback Party Convention in Indianapolis. (Mack, 366; Nevins, 289). Samuel Gompers voted for him. Abram S. Hewitt National Democratic Chairman for Presidential Democratic nominee, William J. Tilden. (Nevins, SW P. x) June 20: Abram S. Hewitt elected President, American Institute of Mining Engineers. (Nevins, SW, x) Abram S. Hewitt House Democratic Leader in charge of disputed Tilden-Hayes election. (Nevins, SW p. x) Reelected by Congress. Oct. 4-6: Cooper Union represented at First ALA convention meeting by Oran W. Morris, Librarian. John Celivergos Zachos' A sketch of the life and opinions of Mr. Peter Cooper. Compiled from original sources, published. (Sp. 16) Exhibit of drawings and paintings at Centennial Exposition of work of Cooper students. (Trustee Reports 5/29/76, 12) Pictures from Cooper Union hung in Philadelphia Exposition.




Last Update: 02/04/97