Presidents of Cooper Union
| President of Cooper Union | |
|---|---|
since September 3, 2024 | |
| Appointer | Cooper Union Board of Trustees |
| Formation | 1859 |
| First holder | Peter Cooper |
| Website | Office of the President |
The president of Cooper Union is the chief administrator of Cooper Union.
History
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was founded in 1859 by industrialist, inventor and philanthropist Peter Cooper. From its inception, the college committed to providing full scholarships, regardless of need, to its students.[1]
List of presidents of the Cooper Union
The following persons have served as president of the Cooper Union:[2]
| No. | Image | President | Term start | Term end | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Cooper | 1859 | 1882 | [3] | |
| 2 | Edward Cooper | 1882 | 1904 | ||
| 3 | John Edward Parsons | 1905 | 1914 | ||
| 4 | Robert Fulton Cutting | 1914 | September 21, 1934[a] | [4] | |
| 5 | Gano Dunn | February 1, 1935 | June 30, 1951 | [5][6] | |
| 6 | Edwin S. Burdell | July 1, 1951 | February 28, 1960 [b] | [7][6] | |
| acting | Johnson E. Fairchild | March 1, 1960 | May 31, 1961 | [7] | |
| 7 | Richard Franklin Humphreys | June 1, 1961 | August 8, 1968 [a] | [8][9][10] | |
| acting | Henry Heald | August 9, 1968 | May 31, 1969 | [11] | |
| 8 | John F. White | June 1, 1969 | 1980 | [11][12] | |
| 9 | Bill N. Lacy | 1980 | 1987 | [13][14] | |
| 10 | John Jay Iselin | July 1, 1988 | June 30, 2000 | [15] | |
| 11 | George Campbell Jr. | July 1, 2000 | June 30, 2011 | [16][17] | |
| 12 | Jamshed Bharucha | July 1, 2011 | June 30, 2015 | [1][18] | |
| acting | William Mea | July 1, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | [19] | |
| 13 | Laura Sparks | January 4, 2017 | August 2024 [c] | [20][21][22][23] | |
| acting | Malcolm King | August 2024 | June 30, 2025 | [24] | |
| 14 | Steven W. McLaughlin | July 1, 2025 | present | [25] |
Table notes:
References
- ^ a b Foderaro, Lisa W. (7 February 2011). "Provost of Tufts University Will Be Named President of Cooper Union". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Presidents of the Cooper Union". Cooper Union Alumni Association.
- ^ "Moment #001: The Cooper Union Begins". cooper.edu. The Cooper Union. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "COOPER UNION HONORS MEMORY OF CUTTING; Opening of Academic Year Is Delayed Till Tuesday -- 3,000 Expected in Classes". The New York Times. 23 September 1934. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "DUNN CHOSEN HEAD OF COOPER UNION; Leader in Science, Engineering and Education Elected by Board of the School". The New York Times. 2 February 1935. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Cooper Union Titles Changed". The New York Times. July 2, 1951. p. 33.
- ^ a b "BURDELL RETIRES AT COOPER UNION; President for 22 Years Will Head Mideast Technical University in Turkey". The New York Times. 11 January 1960. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "NEW HEAD NAMED BY COOPER UNION; Nuclear Physicist, 49, Will Take Office in June -- Humanities Stressed". The New York Times. 6 February 1961. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "CHIEF INSTALLED BY COOPER UNION; Humphreys Asks College to Cultivate Original Thought". The New York Times. 13 February 1962. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Dr. Richard Humphreys Dies; President of Cooper Union, 57". The New York Times. 9 August 1968. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ a b Gould, Jack (13 March 1969). "Educational TV Official Will Head Cooper Union". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (April 27, 2005). "John F. White, 87, a Pioneer in the Development of Public TV, Dies". The New York Times.
- ^ Asbury, Edith Evans (19 October 1980). "Cooper Union Revises Inauguration Over Boycott". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Despite Boycott, President of Cooper Union Is Installed". The New York Times. 21 October 1980. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Hays, Constance L. (17 April 1988). "A NEW PRESIDENT FOR COOPER UNION". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Holloway, Lynette (18 November 1999). "Cooper Union Picks Physicist as First Black President". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (April 20, 2010). "Cooper Union President to Retire Next Year". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Harris, Elizabeth A. (11 April 2015). "Cooper Union Offers to Let President Go as Part of Deal With State Attorney General". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Cacciatore, Lawrence. "Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting of December 9, 2015" (PDF). The Cooper Union. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Meet Laura Sparks". cooper.edu. The Cooper Union. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Laura Sparks". cooper.edu. The Cooper Union. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "New President Announced: Laura Spark". The Cooper Union. September 14, 2016.
- ^ Bernard, Andrew (August 29, 2024). "Cooper Union president resigns, having cited 'new challenges' last year". Columbus Jewish News.
- ^ "Update on the Office of the President". The Cooper Union. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ "Cooper Union Names Next President". cooperedu. Retrieved 2025-04-21.