Letters to the Editor
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‘The Legends of Cooper Union’
In “The Legends of Cooper Union,” the reporter notes that “tuition at Cooper Union was free and even today it is priced significantly lower than other schools of its caliber” [Arts&Letters, February 23, 2007].
In fact, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art continues to award a full tuition scholarship, currently valued at $30,000 annually, to every admitted student. One of the nation’s top-ranked private colleges, Cooper Union offers degree programs in art, architecture, and engineering.
It’s also important to point out that, contrary to the description of Cooper Union’s Foundation Building, it is indeed a masterpiece, designated as a national and city landmark. Peter Cooper was the first to use an iron I beam infrastructure, which enabled construction of taller buildings because the beams, not the walls, supported the weight. With this innovation, the Foundation Building became the precursor of the modern skyscraper.
Anticipating the need for vertical transportation in such tall buildings, Cooper, as visionary in his building plans as in his philanthropy, also included an elevator shaft in the Foundation Building, preceding the introduction of a cab for such a shaft.
RONNI DENES
Vice president for external affairs
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, N.Y.
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