Previous Honorees

Cooper Union Stock Photo

2009

 

Honorees

Terry J. Lundgren - Urban Citizenship
Yoko Ono - Visual Art
Cesar Pelli - Architecture
Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. - Engineering & Science
Leslie M. Hewitt - Emerging Talent
Thom Mayne - The Lafayette Medal

Dinner Chairs

Corice Canton Arman
Clo & Charles S. CohenAnita and Neal Slavin

2008

 

Honorees

Richard Ravitch - Urban Citizenship
Annie Leibovitz - Visual Art
David Childs - Architecture
Lloyd G. Trotter - Engineering
Wangechi Mutu - Emerging Talent

Dinner Chairs

Kevin Burke
T.J. Gottesdiener
Hedy Klineman
Kathleen Lacey and James Hoge
Marilyn Jordan Taylor

2007

 

Honorees

Constance Milstein - Urban Citizenship
Kara Walker - Visual Art
Santiago Calatrava - Architecture
Craig Nevill-Manning - Engineering
Jennifer Lee - Emerging Talent

Dinner Chairs

François and Susan deMenil
Sandra Priest Rose

2006

 

Honorees

Marie- Josée Kravis - Urban Citizenship
Jenny Holzer - Visual Art
Elizabeth Diller & Ricardo Scofidio - Architecture
Nicholas Donofrio - Engineering
Simon Lok - Emerging Talent 

Dinner Chairs

Agnes Gund & Daniel Shapiro, Esq.
Sam Palmisano
Jack Rudin
Frank Sciame

2004

 

Honorees

Bill Cosby - Urban Citizenship
Christo & Jeanne-Claude - Visual Art
Daniel Libeskind - Architecture
Ysrael Seinuk - Engineering
Patty Jenkins - Emerging Talent 

Dinner Chairs

Alex Gorlin
Douglas A.P. Hamilton
Gordon J. Davis
Stephen M. Ross

2003

 

Honorees

Jay Kriegel - Urban Citizenship
Spike Lee - Visual Art
James Polshek - Architecture
Kevin Burke - Engineering
Kristen Lucas - Emerging Talent

Dinner Chairs

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
David W. Heleniak
Paula Scher & Seymour Chwast
Jason H. Wright

2002

 

Honorees

E. Virgil Conway - Urban Citizenship
Milton Glaser - Visual Art
Robert Fox - Architecture
Dean Kamen - Engineering
Julian LaVerdiere - Emerging Talent

Dinner Chairs

Lawrence Benenson
Joan & Robert Bernhard
George David
Jenifer & George Lang
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.