A Thanksgiving Message from President McLaughlin

Dear Cooper Union Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As we head into the Thanksgiving break, I find myself reflecting on the first few months that I’ve been here as president of this amazing college. When I delivered my first Convocation address in September, I spoke about how eager I was to begin this journey with all of you—to feel the full energy of campus, to meet our newest students and connect with returning ones as well as with faculty, staff, and alumni, and to begin learning about the many stories, talents, and traditions that make The Cooper Union an extraordinary place.  

Now, with the semester nearing its conclusion, that sense of excitement has only grown stronger, deepening my appreciation for this community. You are inventive, passionate, spirited, tight-knit, and unfailingly committed to stretching yourselves and your practices. You’ve also welcomed me with generosity, candor, and warmth. You have led with kindness. I asked that of all of us in September and am so pleased to see it play out in so many ways across our community. You have generously extended that kindness to me, and I am thankful.

This time of year invites us to pause and look around with intention. For me, that has underscored something I said on that first day – students are at the center of everything we do. So, in that spirit, I share with you here a few of the things I am grateful for:

  • Thursday morning breakfasts – I’ve been happy to meet so many of you there!
  • Our international students who continue to show great resilience in the face of challenging circumstances this last year. I was grateful to meet over lunch with some 20 international students earlier this month. To each of these students, I say “thank you” for your time, for sharing your experiences and concerns with me, and for choosing Cooper as your academic home. Your determination and presence enrich our community.  
  • The reconvening of the Faculty-Student Senate. This representative group can play an important role in looking at how we support and advance The Cooper Union in areas such as academic freedom.
  • The generosity of our Trustees, alumni, and donors who believe deeply in our mission and continue to demonstrate their dedication to Cooper students by fueling our progress toward a return to full-tuition scholarships.
  • Ira EE’76 and Joanne Chayut who gave an extraordinary gift, nearly $5 million, to support our computer science program. Incredible!
  • Our faculty and staff – some of the finest you’ll find in higher education anywhere. Thank you, one and all, for all you do for The Cooper Union.

I’m also grateful for the enduring spirit of Peter Cooper, whose inspiration continues to guide us. His words, including his call that we “use this Building wisely and well” – I love that one! – feel especially relevant during a season centered on gratitude, reflection, and community.

My thanks, again, for a wonderful start to this academic year. Wishing you a warm, joyful, and restorative break.

Sincerely,

Steve McLaughlin
President, The Cooper Union 

  • 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.