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59-731: The Center for Fiction , originally called the New York Mercantile Library , is a not-for-profit organization in New York City , with offices at 15 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn . Prior to their move in early 2018, The Center for Fiction was located at 17 East 47th Street , between Madison and Fifth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan . The center works to promote fiction and literature and to give support to writers. It originated in 1820 as

118-535: A Nobel Prize in Physics , a Pritzker Prize , 3 National Medal of Arts Awards, 15 Rome Prizes , 26 Guggenheim Fellowships , 3 MacArthur Fellowships , 9 Chrysler Design Awards , 3 Emmy Awards, a Tony, a Grammy, a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering , and 3 Thomas Jefferson Awards for Public Architecture . The institution has also had 40 Fulbright Scholars since 2001 and 13 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships since 2004. Notable faculty of

177-669: A sliding scale . On May 8, 2013, a group of students occupied President Bharucha's office in protest over news reports about ending free tuition. The administration, board of trustees, and those members of the Cooper Union community who had been occupying the Office of the President since early May reached an agreement that ended the occupation on July 12. Throughout 2013, 2014, and 2015, the Committee to Save Cooper Union (CSCU) —

236-662: A Reading Room, operates a curated independent bookstore primarily featuring works of fiction, rents space to writers at low cost, and presents literary programs to the public. The organization also awards the annual Center for Fiction First Novel Prize . The foundation of the Mercantile Library Association was instigated by the New York Chamber of Commerce , which placed newspaper advertisements in November 1820 asking merchant clerks to meet at

295-464: A coalition of former and current students, alumni and faculty — campaigned to reverse this decision, urging the president and the board of trustees to return Cooper Union to "its tuition-free and merit-based mission, ensure the school’s fiscal recovery, and establish better governance structures." On September 1, 2015, the school and the CSCU announced the CSCU's lawsuit against the school's administration

354-508: A few attempts to merge Cooper Union and Columbia University , but these were never realized. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum , was founded in 1897 as part of Cooper Union by Sarah, Eleanor, and Amy Hewitt, granddaughters of Peter Cooper. Cooper Union's Foundation Building is an Italianate brownstone building designed by architect Fred A. Petersen , one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects . It

413-564: A full-height Grand Atrium, prevalent interior windows, a four-story linear central staircase, and upper-level skyways , which reflect the design intention of inspiring, socially interactive space for students and faculty. In addition, the building's design allows for up to 75% natural lighting , further reducing energy costs. In 2010, 41 Cooper Square became the first academic and laboratory structure in New York City to meet Platinum-level LEED standards for energy efficiency. The building

472-433: A full-tuition scholarship to every admitted student, a practice it discontinued in 2014, instead offering a half-tuition scholarship to each admitted student. As of 2024 , nearly half of its undergraduate students were attending on a tuition-free basis. In September 2024 the school announced that for the next four years, all students (including current students) would not pay tuition for their senior year. The Cooper Union

531-649: A local coffee house to discuss forming an organization based on the Mercantile Library in Boston , which had been created earlier that year. The purpose of the new organization was to provide the city's growing population of clerks with an alternative to what were considered to be immoral entertainments and other vices of the city. The association's first subscription circulating library, which had 700 volumes in rented rooms at 49 Fulton Street in Manhattan ,

590-492: A member library with a Members Lounge and Reading Room, classrooms, a writers studio, an auditorium for 160 people, a bookstore and a cafe/bar. The Center is a home for readers and writers that serves as a gathering place for the literary community. The three-story building will be co-owned with the Mark Morris Dance Group and a real estate company, which will have their own spaces there. The Center for Fiction

649-485: A new building called 41 Cooper Square . A new classroom, laboratory, and studio facility designed by Thom Mayne replaced the aging Hewitt Academic Building at 41 Cooper Square . In contrast to the Foundation Building, 41 Cooper Square is of modern, environmentally "green" design , housing nine above-ground floors and two basements. The structure features unconventional architectural features, including

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708-449: A new four-year nighttime engineering college for men and a few women. In 1883, a five-year curriculum in chemistry was added as an alternative to the applied science (engineering) program. A daytime engineering college was added in 1902, thanks to funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie . Initial board members included Daniel F. Tiemann , John E. Parsons , Horace Greeley and William Cullen Bryant , and those who availed themselves of

767-612: A new tuition-based cross-disciplinary graduate program, expand its fee-based continuing education programs, and impose tuition on some students in its existing graduate programs. In December 2012, as a protest against the possibility of undergraduate tuition being charged, 11 students occupied a suite in the Foundation Building for a week. Charging high tuition was complicated by the school's lack of customary amenities offered by other high-tuition schools. The college ended its free tuition policy for undergraduates in 2014, but offers need-based tuition remission to incoming undergraduates on

826-522: A result of the Astor Place riot of 1849, and the building was sold for $ 140,000 to the association, which renamed it "Clinton Hall" and moved the library there as a place which was more convenient to its members. At its new location, the association offered classes and public lectures, including by Frederick Douglass , William Thackeray , and Mark Twain , and functioned as a cultural center. Membership during this period reached at least 12,000, while

885-400: A series of open forums were held with students, faculty, and alumni to address a financial crisis. Current and past students voiced opposition to charging tuition. The then-president of the school, Jamshed Bharucha , indicated depletion of the school's endowment required additional sources of funding. In 2012, the college announced approval from its board of trustees to attempt to establish

944-549: A smaller, more modern alternative to the Great Hall. A substantial portion of the annual budget, which supports the full-tuition scholarships in addition to the school's costs, is generated through revenues from real estate. Its endowment is over $ 600 million. The land under the Chrysler Building is owned by the endowment, and as of 2009, Cooper Union received $ 7 million per year from this parcel. Further, under

1003-719: A snowy night before about 1,500 persons." Widely reported in the press and reprinted throughout the North in pamphlet form, the speech galvanized support for Lincoln and contributed to his gaining the Party's nomination for the presidency . It is now referred to as the Cooper Union Address . Since then, the Great Hall has served as a platform for historic addresses by American Presidents Grant , Cleveland , Taft , Theodore Roosevelt , Woodrow Wilson , and Bill Clinton . Clinton spoke on May 12, 1993, about reducing

1062-453: A time when its membership was only 375 people. The association subsequently reorganized and reopened, with a new focus on fiction and literature. In 1998, the ground floor of the building was renovated by Beyer Blinder Belle . The library – colloquially known as "The Merc" – had considered moving to a new location in 2008, but subsequently decided to remain at its historic Midtown Manhattan location. Since 2005 known as The Center for Fiction,

1121-502: A very unusual arrangement, New York City real-estate taxes assessed against the Chrysler lease, held by Aby Rosen , are paid to Cooper Union, not the city. This arrangement would be voided if Cooper Union sold the real estate. In 2006, Tishman Speyer signed a deal with the school to pay rent that has escalated to $ 32.5 million in 2018. Around October 29, 2011, rumors circulated the school was in serious financial trouble. On October 31,

1180-562: Is dedicated completely to School of Art studio and classroom space in addition to the art studio spaces located throughout the building. The lowest basement level consists almost completely of the school's large machine shops and design laboratories, as well as much of the HVAC and supply infrastructure . The building's first basement level houses primarily the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, a 198-capacity lecture hall and event space designed as

1239-633: Is divided into three schools: the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. It offers undergraduate and master's degree programs exclusively in the fields of architecture , fine arts (undergraduate only), and engineering as well as a shared core curriculum in the humanities and social sciences. The Cooper Union was one of very few American institutions of higher learning to offer

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1298-538: Is the largest of the three schools by a significant margin. The school offers ABET -accredited Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree programs in core engineering fields and an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree. Opportunities are also available for engineering students to pursue minors in bioengineering, chemistry, computer science, humanities and social sciences, and mathematics. Specialized facilities for teaching and research include

1357-572: The Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering established in 2002 and the interdisciplinary Maker Space Lab, established in 2020 for the use of engineering, art, and architecture students. The School of Engineering offers master's degrees in chemical, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering. Cooper Union undergraduate engineering students may earn a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in as little as five years. Consisting of roughly 200 students and 70 faculty members,

1416-805: The Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas delivered his first formal speech in English. Other historic speakers in the Great Hall have included Frederick Douglass , Susan B. Anthony , Elizabeth Cady Stanton , and Mark Twain . The Great Hall continues to serve as an important metropolitan art space and has hosted lectures and performances by such key figures as Joseph Campbell , Steve Reich , Salman Rushdie , Ralph Nader , Hamza Yusuf , Richard Stallman , Rudolph Giuliani , Pema Chodron , Michael Bloomberg , Evo Morales , and Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez . When not occupied by external or hosted events,

1475-653: The (New York) Mercantile Library and in 2005 changed its name to the Mercantile Library Center for Fiction , although it presents itself as simply "The Center for Fiction". The center, which is one of 17 remaining membership libraries in the United States, three of which are in New York City, maintains a large circulating library of 20th and 21st century fiction, in addition to many stored volumes of 19th century fiction. It also stocks non-fiction volumes on subjects related to literature. It maintains

1534-566: The 1850s the association owned "a cabinet of minerals and shells, a collection of revolutionary medals, miscellaneous coins, various paintings, statue of the 'Dancing Girl Reposing', Minerva , and a bust of Philip Stone. By 1853, the association had over 4,000 members and over 30,000 volumes, and in 1854, the library moved again, this time uptown to the Astor Opera House building on Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 8th Street . The opera house had closed its doors as

1593-416: The 2024-2025 academic year and that they were proceeding as planned towards their goal of 100% coverage in the 2029 fiscal year. Admission to Cooper Union is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 12% across the three schools. The Cooper Union's School of Engineering is named in honor of Albert Nerken, a chemical engineering alumnus of the school. Its enrollment includes about 550 students, and

1652-637: The Cooper Union School of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree and a Certificate of Fine Arts. As a member school of AICAD , School of Art students may participate in exchange programs with the other colleges in the association, including California Institute of the Arts and Otis College of Art and Design . The Cooper Union Art program is often referred to as " generalist " or "versatile" when compared to other Fine Arts colleges; incoming students do not choose an academic major within

1711-529: The Fine Arts field, but instead are permitted and encouraged to select courses from any of the School of Art's departments. The curriculum place heavy emphasis on each student's creative and imaginative abilities, rather than technical precision in a specific medium. Located in both public spaces and specialized rooms, Cooper Union's galleries provide space for installations and showcases by students, faculty, and guest artists. Popular gallery locations include

1770-400: The Foundation Building are used primarily for interdisciplinary exhibitions with the School of Architecture. For presentations of video and digital media, the Great Hall and 41 Cooper Square's Rose Auditorium are used. The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union offers a five-year NAAB accredited program established by John Hejduk . The philosophical foundation of the school

1829-554: The Great Hall is made accessible to students and faculty for large lectures and recreational activities, including the school's annual Culture Show. In 1994, the Cooper Union Forum of Public Programs was honored with a Village Award from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation . In late 2008, the Great Hall was closed to students and outside events for the first major renovation of

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1888-411: The Great Hall lobby in the Foundation Building and newly opened 41 Cooper Gallery in 41 Cooper Square, which provides a two-story high space for large, three-dimensional exhibitions and works visible from both the building lobby and 7th street through large plate-glass windows. In addition, numerous smaller exhibition spaces exist throughout both buildings on campus. Larger spaces on the upper floors of

1947-500: The architects Michael Webb , Peter Eisenman , Raimund Abraham , Lebbeus Woods , Diane Lewis and John Hejduk . The post-professional degree program in architecture was launched in 2009. Concentrations in one or a combination of three areas are offered: theory, history and criticism of architecture, urban studies and technologies. Cooper Union has developed an athletic program which fields teams in basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Awards received by Cooper Union alumni include

2006-514: The course of a year. Notes Bibliography Further reading Not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization ( NFPO ) is a legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. An NFPO does not earn profit for its owners, as any revenue generated by its activities must be put back into the organization. While not-for-profit organizations and non-profit organizations (NPO) are distinct legal entities,

2065-558: The federal deficit and again on May 23, 2006, as the Keynote Speaker at The Cooper Union's 147th Commencement, along with Anna Deavere Smith . He appeared a third time on April 23, 2007, along with Senator Edward Kennedy , Henry Kissinger , Norman Mailer , and others, at the memorial service for historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Most recently, Barack Obama delivered an economic policy speech at Cooper Union's Great Hall on April 22, 2010. On September 22, 2014, President of

2124-534: The first transatlantic telegraph cable , and once ran for President under the Greenback Party , becoming the oldest person ever nominated for the office by a political party . Cooper's dream was to give talented young people the one privilege he lacked: a good education from an institution which was "open and free to all". To achieve these goals, Cooper designated the bulk of his wealth to The Cooper Union. According to The New York Times in 1863, "It

2183-539: The goal of generating profit. An example of this is a sports club , which exists for the enjoyment of its members and thus would function well as an NFPO, with revenue being re-invested into improving the organization. These organizations typically file for tax exemption in the United States under section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code as social clubs. Common ventures for which NFPOs are established include: Charities, as NFPOs, function under

2242-444: The hall since 1978. The Cooper Union has schools in architecture, fine art , and engineering. At present, these three fields represent Cooper Union's degree programs. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies provides classes and faculty to all three programs. In 2002, the school decided to generate revenue by razing its engineering building and having it replaced with a commercial building, and replacing its Hewitt Building with

2301-457: The institute's courses in its early days included Augustus Saint-Gaudens , Thomas Alva Edison and William Francis Deegan . The Cooper Union's free classes have evolved into three schools: the School of Art, the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. Since 1859, the Cooper Union has educated thousands of artists, architects, and engineers, many of them leaders in their fields. After 1864 there were

2360-492: The institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in France. The school was built on a radical new model of American higher education based on Cooper's belief that an education "equal to the best technology schools established" should be accessible to those who qualify, independent of their race, religion, sex, wealth or social status, and should be "open and free to all". The college

2419-399: The library declined through the following decades, and the library sold off parts of its collection in the 1970s. "In 1971 the theological collection was sold, in 1977 the foreign language collection was sold." It also attempted a merger with Pace College , but this did not occur. By 1987 the library was in financial distress, and closed for the summer of 1987, and then indefinitely in 1989, at

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2478-437: The library itself amassed 120,000 volumes, making it the largest circulating library in the United States at the time. By 1872 the library contained works of biography; history, geography and travels; literature; mathematics; medical science; mental and moral science; natural sciences; political science; the arts; and theology. However, because the library did not stay open late at night, its services were not generally available to

2537-498: The library moved to a new building designed by architect Seth Geer, called Clinton Hall, at Nassau and Beekman Streets, which the Clinton Hall Association, made up of prominent members of the Mercantile Library Association, had raised funds to construct. Frequent lectures were presented by the library, including by Ralph Waldo Emerson   and Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. In addition to reading materials, as of

2596-558: The next full-term president. On January 15, 2018, the Free Education Committee (FEC) of the school's Board of Trustees released their recommended plan to return to full-tuition scholarships for undergraduates only by the academic year starting in the fall of 2028. In March 2018, the board released its approved, updated version with the same milestone. In 2024, the school announced that approximately 83% of undergraduate tuition costs would be covered by scholarships in

2655-435: The organization presents a diverse program of free or low-cost public events, featuring over 100 authors, translators, and critics each year. The Center also offers reading groups and writing workshops. In May 2018, the organization announced that it would be moving its headquarters to a new building in Fort Greene, Brooklyn called Caesura and designed by Dattner Architects. The 17,500-square-foot (1,630 m) space includes

2714-600: The premise that any revenue generated should be used to further their charitable missions rather than distribute profits among members. This revenue might come from donations, fundraising, or other activities undertaken to support their charitable cause. Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art , commonly known as Cooper Union , is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded

2773-501: The shaft in the shape of a circle. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and a New York City Landmark in 1965, and added to the Historic American Engineering Record in 1971. On February 27, 1860, the school's Great Hall, located in the basement level of the Foundation Building, became the site of a historic address by Abraham Lincoln . "Lincoln made his address on

2832-474: The subjects of applied sciences and architectural drawing , as well as day classes primarily intended for women on the subjects of photography, telegraphy, typewriting and shorthand in what was called the college's Female School of Design. The early institution also had a free reading room open day and night, the first in New York City (predating the New York Public Library system), and

2891-509: The terms are sometimes used interchangeably. An NFPO must be differentiated from a NPO as they are not formed explicitly for the public good as an NPO must be, and NFPOs are considered "recreational organizations", meaning that they do not operate with the goal of generating revenue as opposed to NPOs. An NFPO does not have the same obligation as an NPO to serve the public good, and as such it may be used to apply for tax-exempt status as an organization that serves its members and does not have

2950-481: The working class, a deficit which was remedied when the Cooper Union opened a block east on Astor Place: its reading room was open until 10 p.m. In 1891, requiring more space, the association tore down the opera house and replaced it with an 11-story building designed by George E. Harney , which it also named "Clinton Hall". The new building featured a reading room on the top floor that was two stories high, and

3009-475: Was designed by Julie Nelson, Partner at BKSK Architects LLP and opened in 2019. The Center for Fiction bestows a number of awards annually: Additionally, The Center for Fiction/Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowships grant 9 New York City early-career writers with a $ 5,000 stipend, editorial mentorship and networking opportunities with publishing professionals, membership to The Center's Writers Studio, two public readings, publication in an anthology, and more over

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3068-643: Was directly committed to the "Social Contract" and dedicated to education as "one of the last places that protects freedom, and teaching as a sociopolitical act, among other things." Among those other things were principles of free debate and theoretical discourse which drew source from deep wellsprings of lost histories such as the Bauhaus school of Architecture founded by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe . The faculty includes architects, design and construction managers such as Peter Eisenman , Samuel Anderson , Nader Tehrani , and Diana Agrest . Former faculty members include

3127-490: Was founded in 1859 by American industrialist Peter Cooper , one of the richest businessmen in the United States. Cooper was a workingman's son who had less than a year of formal schooling. Cooper designed and built America's first steam railroad engine and made a fortune with a glue factory and iron foundry. He was a principal investor and first president of the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company , which laid

3186-399: Was funded in part by alumni donations, materialized in nameplates and other textual recognition throughout the building. Primarily designed to house the Cooper Union's School of Engineering and School of Art, the new building's first eight above-ground floors are populated by classrooms, small engineering laboratories, study lounges, art studio space, and faculty offices. The ninth, top floor

3245-463: Was open to most of the general public, but only merchant clerks were allowed to vote for and be officers in the association. By the year 1826, the financial "prospects brightened to the extent that the officers hired a suite of rooms in the Harpers building on Cliff Street, and starting the reading room, which has continued to be an important part of the institution in all its successive homes." In 1830,

3304-480: Was rare that those of limited means, however eager they might be to acquire a knowledge of some of the higher branches of education, could obtain tuition in studies not named in the regular course taught in our public schools." Discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or sex was expressly prohibited. Originally intended to be named simply "the Union", the Cooper Union began with adult education in night classes on

3363-479: Was resolved in the form of a consent decree signed by Cooper Union, then-New York State's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman , and the CSCU. The decree includes provisions for returning to a sustainable, tuition-free policy, increased board transparency, additional student, faculty and alumni trustees, an independent financial monitor appointed by the Attorney General, and a search committee to identify

3422-461: Was the first structure in New York City to feature rolled-iron I-beams for structural support; Peter Cooper himself invented and produced these beams. Petersen patented a fire-resistant hollow brick tile he used in the building's construction. The building was the first in the world to be built with an elevator shaft, because Cooper, in 1853, was confident an elevator would soon be invented. However, he expected them to be cylindrical, so he designed

3481-471: Was to remain the headquarters for its library operations, which included 7 branches, until 1920, when it relocated to rented space. However, in 1932, the library once again had its own building, at 17 East 47th Street , designed by Henry Otis Chapman. Here, the association maintained its 230,000 volumes to serve 3,000 subscribers. The library at this time still had branches at 149 Broadway at Liberty Street and 598 Madison Avenue at 57th Street . Membership in

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