In Memoriam

Michael Cheifetz ME'65

Michael Cheifetz passed away on February 21, 2026. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester after graduating from Cooper. He built a long and respected career, mostly at a private engineering firm.

Shirley Glaser A'56

Shirley Glaser passed away on June 29, 2026. In addition to The Cooper Union, she studied at Fordham and Columbia Universities. Shirley enjoyed a varied career in the arts as a graphic designer, photographer, and writer.

Richard Serwetman EE'68

Richard Serwetman passed away on January 13, 2026. After graduating from Cooper, he obtained a Master's degree from Northeastern University and worked as a Systems Engineer at Raytheon.

Rolf Ohlhausen AR'58

Rolf Ohlhausen passed away in his home on May 12, 2026 at the age of 93. After serving in the Korean War, Rolf graduated from Cooper and earned his Master's at Harvard. As an architect, he focused on academic buildings and housing. He also founded the Center for Architecture in New York.

  • 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.