By Way of Observation

Fri, Sep 19, 12am - Fri, Sep 26, 2008 12am

Add to Calendar

William Cooper Mack, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture class of 2006, died on June 3, 2008 following a four-month battle with acute leukemia. A tribute to Cooper, as he was known to everyone at the School, was held on September 19 in the Arthur A. Houghton Gallery, along with the opening of an exhibition to celebrate his student and professional work.

The installation, by way of observation, was the result of the collaborative efforts of colleagues, family and friends who knew and loved Cooper or came to know him through his work. This included Raha Talebi (AR '05), the Mack and Talebi families, fellow graduates from the class of 2006, friends and neighbors from Rogers, Arkansas, current students and staffs of the School of Architecture, the School of Art, and the School of Architecture Archive. The tribute was attended by students, faculty, staff, and many alumni from the Cooper Union, as well as professional colleagues, extended family, and friends.

More Events & Exhibitions

  • 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.