The Cooper Fund

The Cooper Fund Leadership Circle is a society recognizing individuals, families, and organizations giving $10,000 - $100,000 + to Cooper Union annually. Contact us to learn how you can become a member. 

Patrons $10,000 - $24,999

  • Innovator Society benefits and...
  • Assigned Development staff liaison to coordinate your philanthropy and engagement.
  • Listing on the Cooper Fund Leadership Circle donor wall in the lobby of the historic Foundation Building.
  • Invitation to select pre- and post-receptions for Great Hall events.
  • Exclusive access to special events including an annual virtual update with President Laura Sparks and other Cooper leadership on the state of Cooper Union.

Partners $25,000 - $99,999

  • The above and...
  • Premier naming space on the Cooper Fund Leadership Circle Wall.
  • Opportunity to name a current use scholarship leaving an impactful legacy on a Cooper student.
  • A private tour of Library archives with Mary Mann, Cooper Union Archivist.
  • Exclusive access to meet Dean’s and students at the End of Year Shows in May.

President's Circle $100,000+

  • The above and...
  • As leaders of our community, you are able to take advantage of a lasting legacy at Cooper Union with naming opportunities across physical spaces on campus and special recognition at events.
  • A special reception/private dinner with President Laura Sparks and members of the Board of Trustees (dinner at the Fish House around reunion or another major Cooper event).
  • Invitation to our annual celebration of The Lifetime Giving Awards Event to celebrate our top donors.
  • Private tours of campus upon request including the AACE Lab and archives.


Recognizing gifts to The Cooper Union during the past fiscal year—July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.

PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE 

$100,000+ 

Estate of Jerome Ablon '60 
Daniel Arsham '03 
Booth Ferris Foundation 
Estate of Stanley R. Cohen '55 
Vic '63 and Eleanor DiFranco 
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation 
Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation 
Estate of Byron Gibbs '51 
Paula and Jeffrey Gural 
IDC Foundation 
Institute of Museum and Library Services 
Elliott Kanbar 
Alex '49 and Ada Katz 
Estate of Harvey J. Kosherick '64 
John '69 and Mary Manuck 
Richard and Ronay Menschel 
Oscar Parr '43 
George Reeves '64 and Ross Wisnewski 
Nanako Umemoto '83 and Jesse Reiser '81 
Robin Hood Foundation 
Carmin '55 and Adrienne Rosato 
The Sheridan Family 
Richard J. Slember '55 
Nader Tehrani in Memory of Ahmad and Parvaneh Tehrani 
Estate of Thomas Van Wart '55 
Estate of George Wallerstein 
Estate of Nancy Warfield '50 
Anonymous  

 

COOPER FUND PARTNERS 

$25,000 - $99,999 

Altman Foundation 
Sidney J. Altschuler '57 
Howard '70 and Nancy Amols 
Erich Arcement '97 and Nerina Garcia-Arcement 
The Ciafone and Argento Family 
Michael Borkowsky '61 
Eugene '64 and Susan Briskman 
Kevin '72 and Patricia Burke 
Judith Cassella '71 and Charles Cassella '68 
Anne and Albert Chao 
Con Edison 
William '76 and Sandra Cordiano 
Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation 
James E. Craig '63 
Arlene Poling D'Arienzo'56 
Thomas '77 and Diane Driscoll 
Pam Flaherty 
Alan Fortier '79 
Estate of Charlotte Freeman-Shapiro '46  
Morris '66 and Amanda Gelb 
Stephen '67 and Jane Gerard 
Harold '44 and Rose Goldberg 
Alan I. Goldsmith '86/'89 
Aftab '97 and Ellen Hussain 
Anthony '85 and Claire Ianno 
Stephanie and Timothy Ingrassia 
Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown 
Ann Seregi and Larry Kallenberg '60 
Ilan '65 and Barbara Levi 
Winifred Marasco '66 and Joseph Marasco '66 
David '74 and Doris May 
Paul Millman '74 
National Endowment for the Arts 
New York State Council on the Arts 
The New York Community Trust - Henry C. Enders Fund 
The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation 
The Pinkerton Foundation 
Melissa Prober and Dana Hughes 
Laura and Andrew Sparks 
Rochelle and Brian Steinwurtzel 
Henry Sterne Trust 
UNTIL ALL ARE FREE 
Andrew '88 and Mary Wilson 
Alfred Zacharias '53 
Anonymous  

 

COOPER FUND PATRONS 

$10,000 - $24,999 

Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation 
A. Robert Birmelin '54 and Blair Tillisch Birmelin 
Ivan '62 and Diana Bottlik 
James '79 and Natalie Bracken 
Kenneth Bridbord '64 and Maryanne Lachat 
Curtis Browne '68 
Mariam Cantelmi '95 and Frank Cantelmi '93 
John Chirico '86 
Brian Chun '01 
John P. Clarke '66 
The Family of Myron R. '42 and Corinne Coe 
Daphne '72 and Wallace Cook 
Thomas Crimmins ’08 and Christina Crimmins ’10 
Cross Ridge Foundation 
Christine Degen '68 and Bruce Degen '66 
Doris and David Deutsch 
Brickson Diamond 
Elizabeth Diller '79 and Ricardo Scofidio '55 
Carol and Joseph Dobronyi 
Henry '92 and Suzanne Domenici 
Michael Duffy '97 
Jack Eichenbaum '63 
Jose Esteves '82 
Raymond '86 and Tina Falci 
Chenggong Fan '95 
Judith Freyer 
Jerry '66 and Marcia Gladstone 
Arun '76 and Kavita Goyal 
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts 
Elizabeth Graziolo '95 
Lawrence J. Guzzardi 
Paul Heller '53 
Eric '89 and Hillary Hirschhorn 
Kelly Hwang '95 and Andy Seho Kim '93 
Benedict '75 and Susan Itri 
John '88 and Jennifer Kain 
Bruce Knauer '63 
Malcolm '97 and Danielle King 
Jimmy Kwong '80 and Pauline Yep 
Lynn '60 and Anne Lander 
Jerry Lasky '69 and Priscilla Kimberly 
Stephen '65 and Patricia Levee 
Jamie Levitt 
Darrell '89 and Jenny Low 
Peter Lung '70 
Terence L. Magno ‘06 
Kevin '78 and Nancy McQuade 
Metropolitan New York Library Council  
Corinne Musa ’04 and Derek Musa ’03 
National Endowment for the Humanities 
Bruce Nelligan '80 
Paul Nikulin '06 and Sasha Nagorny 
Efrem '98 and Ephrat Orgel 
Estate of Matilda Palamara '46 
Constantine '00 and Beth Plakas 
Amanda Yuan Proctor '13 and Alexander Proctor '13 
Marshall '63 and Jane Rafal 
Stephen '63 and Josephine Rattien 
Rechler Philanthropy, Inc 
Donald Rotunno '91 and Ann Bruns-Rotunno 
Walter Schepp 
Walter '60 and Ruth Schillinger 
Donald '57 and Mary Lou Schwinn 
Stanley '53 and Lenore Seroka 
Louis Sherman ’31, Neil and Kenneth Sherman 
Estate of Leah Silverman 
Michael '77 and Elen Sisti 
Irma Sityar '83 
Sean '85 and Penny Smyth 
Peter '55 and Marie Snoek 
The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust 
Stuart '55 and Etta Spater 
Robert '65 and Barbara Spindel 
William '74 and Louise Symington 
James Tellefsen Jr. '77 and Martha Tellefsen 
Thornton Tomasetti Foundation 
Ben Vinson 
Otokar von Bradsky '58 
Gerald Wasserman '66 and Michele Trincellita 
Stephen Welby '87 
Leslie Wheelock 
Barry '68 and Janet Winkler 
Toni Howard and David Yarnell ‘52 
YC Foundation 
Anthony Yoseloff 
Martin '77 and Beth Zubatkin 
Anonymous (2) 

  • 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.