Lifetime Giving Societies

The Cooper Union is proud to recognize the individuals, families, and organizations whose contributions total $100,000 or more as members of our Lifetime Giving Societies. Each Society is named for a member of Peter Cooper’s family in recognition of the philanthropic legacy that has sustained this institution for generations. Members are listed on the Lifetime Giving Society Wall in the lobby of 41 Cooper Square, and receive invitations to special events and other benefits in recognition of their generosity. Contact us to learn how to become a member.

Lifetime Giving Society Members:

LUMINARY SOCIETY ($10 Million and above)

Maurice Kanbar
The Starr Foundation

FOUNDATION SOCIETY ($5 Million – $9,999,999)

Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation 
The Estate of William Hergenrother ’55 
Richard and Ronay Menschel 
Albert Nerken ’33 
Rosemary ’53 and Milton Okun 
George Reeves ’64 and Ross Wisnewski 
Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Foundation 
Irma Giustino Weiss ’45 
Anonymous (3) 

PETER COOPER HERITAGE SOCIETY ($1 Million – $4,999,999)

The Estate of Jerome Ablon '60
Altman Foundation
Sidney J. Altschuler ’57
The Estate of Henri Irving Arnold '50
Daniel Arsham ’03
Robert ’43 and Margaret Bayuk
Joan and Robert Bernhard
The Estate of Howard ’49 and Anita Betts
Kevin ’72 and Patricia Burke
Irwin S. Chanin 1915 and Sylvia Chanin
The Charina Endowment Fund
George Clark ’41
Con Edison
James E. Craig ’63
Walter J. Dauksher ’51
Francois ’87 and Susan de Menil
Donald ’37 and Jane Deed
Vic ’63 and Eleanor DiFranco
Ronald Drucker ’62 and Lisa Ware
Edward Durbin ’48 and Joan Morris
The Estate of Antonya Eisen ’62 and Daniel Eisen ’62
Susan Eisenberg ’62 and Benjamin Eisenberg ’61
Eleanor and Stanley W. Ensminger ’46
The Estate of Jack Feder ’50
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation
Howard Flagg ’75 and Angelica Garcia-Flagg
The Estate of Elaine Flug
F. Phillip Geraci
The Estate of Kathleen Gerla
The Estate of Byron Gibbs ’51
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Paula and Jeffrey Gural
The Estate of George Hecht ’30/’51
The Estate of Roger ’25 and Tessa Heine
Isaac Heller ’52
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
IDC Foundation
Benedict ’75 and Susan Itri
Alex ’49 and Ada Katz
William King ’48
The Estate of Helmuth Knapp ’50
John Kossak ’41 and Evelyn Kranes Kossak
The Kresge Foundation
Stanley ’70 and Ruth Lapidus
The Robert Lehman Foundation
The Estate of Harry Levine ’30
John ’69 and Mary Manuck
Robert B. Menschel
Marie Morrone, in honor of Vincent Morrone ’63
National Science Foundation
New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program
The Estate of Emil ’41 and Billie Pansky
Oscar Parr '43
Rubin ’42 and Rene Rabinowitz
The Estate of Earl Reddert 1915
Michael F. Roberti ’67
Robin Hood Foundation
Daniel and Joanna S. Rose
Susan and Jack Rudin
William ’63 and Patricia Sandholm
Morris Shane ’47
The Sheridan Family
Frank Stanton, in honor of Louis Dorfman ’39 and Ann Hysa Dorfman ’39
Peter Torraco ’28
The Estate of Leonard Trentin ’37
Martin ’56 and Diane Trust
The Trust Family Foundation
Until All Are Free
The Estate of George Wallerstein
The Estate of Mitchel ’49 and Marjorie von Wieser
Barbara White Fishman ’60
Henry Wolf Foundation
Anonymous (3)

SARAH BEDELL COOPER SOCIETY ($500,000 – $999,999)

Booth Ferris Foundation
Michael Borkowsky ’61
Lois M. Collier
Thomas ’77 and Diane Driscoll
Mark L. Epstein ’76
Alan Fortier ’79
George ’40 and Cecily Fox
Morris ’66 and Amanda Gelb
In honor of Roy Grace ’62
Bette-Ann and Charles Gwathmey
Roslyn and Elliot Jaffe
Richard and Ellen Lincer
Susan and John Michaelson
Frank W. Miner ’47
National Endowment for the Arts
The New York Community Trust—Henry C. Enders Fund
New York State Council on the Arts
Alphonse R. Normandia ’48 and The Normandia Family
The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation
Harry Ploss ’68
Richard ’57 and Ardath Schwartz
Surdna Foundation
Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund
Cynthia C. Weiler and E. Blake Moore, Jr.
Anonymous (2)

ABRAM S. HEWITT SOCIETY ($250,000 – $499,999)

Howard ’70 and Nancy Amols
Lawrence B. Benenson
The Estate of Emily Bileck ’44
Alfred ’67 and Kathryn Brand
The Brooks Family Foundation
Eugene '64 and Susan Briskman
Anne and Albert Chao
Judith Cassella ’71 and Charles Cassella ’68
Chubb
Citi Community Development
Clo and Charles S. Cohen
Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation
Gary Davis
Marion and John Patrick Dugan
Raymond ’86 and Tina Falci
Stephen ’67 and Jane Gerard
Pearl Greenberg ’48 and Murray Greenberg ’49
The Hearst Foundations
Tat-Sing Huen ’77
Aftab ’97 and Ellen Hussain
Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown
Evelyn and Peter Kraus
Ilan ’65 and Barbara Levi
Leon Levy Foundation
The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation
Constance J. Milstein
Kenneth ’69 and Helene Mitchell
Ted and Monica Nicholas
The Pinkerton Foundation
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Estate of Ronald Rossi ‘58
Walter Schepp
Richard J. Slember '55
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Stuart ’55 and Etta Spater 
Rochelle and Brian Steinwurtzel
Henry Sterne Trust
Nader Tehrani, in memory of Ahmad and Parvaneh Tehrani
Tiger Foundation
The Estate of Kathryn Vignini
Philip ’89 and Alla Weisberg
Jeremy Wertheimer ’82
Tom ’59 and Claire Wesselmann
Dale ’45 and Charlotte Zand
Gary Williams '71
Anonymous (2)

SARAH AMELIA HEWITT SOCIETY ($100,000 – $249,999)

Joel ’58 and Louise Alper
John and Corrinne Alpert Foundation
Robert ’54 and Linda Alwitt
Carol Amend-Lovell ’82 and John Lovell ’82
Marc and Joanna Appleton
H.B. Avison, in memory of Beth and Art Kramberg
George ’59 and Frances Barletta
Robert W. Bassemir ’49
The Bay and Paul Foundations, Inc.
Bernard ’40 and Lorraine Bayuk
Jacqueline Bernstein and Marvin H. Weiner
Mona Bhoyar and Milind Godbole, parents of Akash Godbole ’17
Charles ’39 and Zelda Bliss
Ivan ’62 and Diana Bottlik
James ’79 and Natalie Bracken
Leo J. Brancato ’50
Kenneth Bridbord ’64 and Maryanne Lachat
Lia Vodja Brillhart ’60
Curtis Browne '68
Michael Callan ’68
Mary Schmidt Campbell and George Campbell Jr.
Mariam Cantelmi ’95 and Frank Cantelmi ’93
Joseph ’66 and Marie Celkupa
John P. Clarke ’66
The Estate of Stanley R. Cohen '55
William ’76 and Sandra Cordiano
Norma Rancken Cossey ME’46 and C. Murray Cossey E’40
Cross Ridge Foundation
The Charles A. Dana Foundation
David ’55 and Gladys Daniel
Faith Dean ’49
Ira W. Decamp Foundation
Christine Degen ’68 and Bruce Degen ’66
Roberta and Deke Dening
Elizabeth Diller ’79 and Ricardo Scofidio ’55
Edward '76 and Kathleen Dineen
Carol and Joseph Dobronyi
Louis Dorfsman ’39
Stephen Doyle ’78 and Gael Towey
Timothy Driscoll ’73
Timothy ’56 and Barbara Driscoll
The Estate of Herbert Dropkin ’50
Michael Duffy ’97
Jack Eichenbaum ’63
Lauren Esnes ’80 and Eugene Esnes ’80
Chenggong Fan '95
Joyce Feinsilber ’50
Jennifer Fenton Weishaupt ’95 and Erich Weishaupt
N. Phyllis Fischer ’54 and George A. Fischer ’54
Pam Flaherty
Frezza Family Foundation
Jane and William Furman
Janet Paxton Gardner ’65 and The Edward and Elizabeth Gardner Foundation
Shirley Glaser ’56 and Milton Glaser ’51
Harold ’44 and Rose Goldberg
Alan I. Goldsmith ’86/’89
Jack D. Goodman ’51 and Nancy Grabow
T.J. Gottesdiener ’79 and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
The Estate of James C. Gower ’88
Richard G. Graven ’52
William 1921 and Polly Grimshaw
Agnes Gund
The Guzzardi Family
Adele Hall and Robert W. Sweet
Robert J. Hammond, Sr. ’38 and Elizabeth T. Hammond
Edward I. Hawthorne ’43 and Lillian Hawthorne
Jeffrey ’87 and Ronny Hersch
Eric ’89 and Hillary Hirschhorn
Albert ’69 and Abby Hochhauser
William J. Horvath
Sol Horwitz
Toni Howard and David Yarnell
John E. Huddy ’85
Bruce '79 and Alice Hudson
Anthony '85 and Claire Ianno
Stephanie and Timothy Ingrassia
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Judith and Thomas Iovino
Mark H. Jay ’73 and Susan R. Jay
Susan Kamen Marsicano ’61, in memory of Nicholas Marsicano
Elliott Kanbar
The J.M. Kaplan Fund
Jaishri and Vikas Kapoor
Evelyn Katz
Malcolm ’97 and Danielle King
Ronald '56 and Elizabeth Klein
Steven ’64 and Carolyn Koestenblatt
The Estate of Fred Kohler
The Estate of Harvey J. Kosherick '64
John ’64 and Sarah Koster
Alan ’70 and Camille Kramer
Jimmy Kwong ’80 and Pauline Yep
The Labowsky Family
Lynn ’60 and Anne Lander
Eugene M. Lang Foundation
Joseph ’54 and Marie Lechleider
Sara Lee and Axel Schupf
Michael ’69 and Sheila Lefkowitz
The Estate of Seymour Lemler ’79
David ’74 and Diane Levy
Richard H. Lewis ’77 and Joan M. Sapinsley
Susan Lin ’88
Fredric Litt ’61 and Jane Ebbers Litt
John L. Loeb
Darrell ’89 and Jenny Low
Edgar Luber ’53
Raymond Luke
Harriet and John Mack, in memory of William Cooper Mack ’06
James ’80 and Patricia Malanga
Max F. Mangelsdorff and Paul Emil Kleineberg
Winifred Marasco '66 and Joseph Marasco '66
Connie V. Martinez
David '74 and Doris May
Rhoda Metzger, in memory of Fred Metzger ’47
Cora and Clarence Michalis
Fernanda D. Milling ’29
Paul Millman ’74
Kenneth ’69 and Helene Mitchell
Edgar ’78 and Mary Mokuvos
Kerry Mooney ’83 and Susan Everett
Vincent ’36 and Grace Moore
Toshiko Mori ’76 and James Carpenter
Corinne Musa ’04 and Derek Musa ’03
Katherine Faulkner, Daniel Gallagher, and Nader Tehrani, NADAAA
Bruce G. Nelligan '80
Lawrence Ng ’78 and Annie Chu
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Paul Nikulin ’06 and Sasha Nagorny
Ernest Nussbaum ’50 and Patricia Pothier
Melissa Prober and Dana Hughes
Ernest E. Olson Jr. ’52
Open Society Foundations
Sean Patrick O’Neill ’03
Edward ’63 and Mary Ott
John Papamarcos ’41
Emil J. Parente ’53
William Paulus, Jr. ’58 and Lois Paulus
Constantine ’00 and Beth Plakas
Alberta Poskanzer
Marshall '63 and Jane Rafal
Stephen ’63 and Josephine Rattien
The Reed Foundation
Michael Reich ’72
Donald ’63 and Kathleen Reilly
Arthur R. Robinson ’51
Anne Dudek Ronan ’83 and Gregory Ronan ’81
Carmin ’55 and Adrienne Rosato
Paul ’62 and Ann Rosche
John '69 and Gladys Roswell
The Estate of Fujio Saito ’47
May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation
Dean Sansone ’89
Robert G. Sarubbi ’53
Walter '60 and Ruth Schillinger
Allyn ’66 and Meredith Schneider
Susan and Peter Schubert
Donald ’57 and Mary Lou Schwinn
Lee ’79 and Jo Ann Skolnick
Sciame Construction, in memory of John Fitzpatrick
Silverweed Foundation
Bernard '70 and Janet Singer
Sean ’85 and Penny Smyth
John Ben Snow Memorial Trust
Laura and Andrew Sparks
Tishman Speyer
Robert ’65 and Barbara Spindel
The Estate of Louise Stephenson
Eugene Stueben ’61
Juh-Young Suh ’91 and Hai-Sik Lee
Joseph Sultan ’76
Solon E. Summerfield Foundation
Ben ’49 and Helene Swedowsky
William '74 and Louise Symington
Gale and Thomas Synnott
Janice Hopkins Tanne
James Tellefsen Jr. ’77 and Martha Tellefsen
Arthur Thomson ’64
Diane Toy ’97 and Eric Fung ’97
Philip ’92 and Jennifer Trahanas
Nanako Umemoto '83 and Jesse Reiser '81
Otokar von Bradsky ’58
Bruce F. Waller, Parent of Greta M. Waller ’06
Rachel L. Warren
Clifford ’36 and Margaret Warren
Herbert A. Weidner ’49
Paul ’72 and Brinda Wiita
Andrew ’88 and Mary Wilson
Barry '68 and Janet Winkler
Jack Yogman ’48
Tony Yoshida and Sunrise Mart
George W. Young
Alfred Zacharias ’53
Martin '77 and Beth Zubatkin
Anonymous (8) 

Names in bold indicate new 2023 inductee.

List as of October, 2023.

  • 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.