The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
COOPER INSTITUTE new GIFT.
S25O, 600 FROM MAN WHOSE
NAME rs WITHHELD.
He Gave on Condition That He should
Never he known As the Giyer-Mr.
Hewitt Says This VIII Enable o
More students to Receive Instruction.


Never he known As the Giyer-Mr.
Hewitt Says This WIN Enable 500
More students 10 Receive Instruction.
With regard to the latest gift to Cooper
Union, Mr.. Abram s. Hewitt said yesterday
at his home, 0 Lexington avenue:
Several days ago a gentleman called
upon me here, and after some little talk
about other matters said that he wished to
give me something for the Cooper In
stitutc on one condition. h condition
was that his name should never be known
as the giver. | told him hat we were per-
fectly willing TO accept anything he might
care TO give on that condition. although |
added that | thought he was most unfair to
himself in imposing it. But he insisted,
30 no matter.
He then gave me $3.50 900 for the Cooper
Institute. He said that he had looked into
such matters not a little and that he was
sure that moro good was lone for the work.
ing people through that institution than
through any other similar establishment in
tho city Everything there was free and
everything was practical and everything
was well done
Il then explained to him what the effect
Of sue a gift would be on an institution in
circumstance in which the Cooper Institute
is now placed. Some weeks & it was
announced that through the gift Of Mr..
Andrew Carnegie on the one hand and Of
the descendants of Peter Cooper on the
other hand il had been made possible to
free Cooper Institute altogether from the
necessity OF renting any part Of the build
ing la order to provide means for carrying
on It's educational work. But there was
lacking money to provide instruction in
the added space thus made available.
THE man who devotes a large sum OF
money to founding an educational institu-
ton is obliged to see much of it expended
in providing buildings and equipment
and the like.
when he gives to an institution already
founded he enlarges its capacity for in
struction as the full amount of his gift.
This ! told the donor of this $3.50 600. The
cost of instruction Of each pupil in the
Cooper Institute is about $40 a year-350
a year, including maintenance, but $50
a year for instruction alone. The income
on a quarter of a million dollars is $4,000
So the capacity Of the institution has been
raised by his gift from about $500 to
$500 pupils. This seemed to please
him a great deal. as indeed it should.
NO. there is no intention of changing
the scope of instruction in the institute.
Forty years Of experience have taught us
what we believe the scope of the instruction
there should be. We will use no part OF
this money for equipment. II will be
necessary 10 expend about 10000 in fitting
up for the purposes of the institute the
rooms which ave been used as stores
along the street. The directors NAV ask
for money for that or they may go into
their own pockets for il. When the adj
vance of electrical science made a certain
PRESSURE on the institution TO increase its
facilities for giving instruction in such
science the directors went into their pockets
for $50. 900 and bought what apparatus was
necessary. They do not have to ask for
money unless they want to do so.
Three days ago the Board of Directors
held a meeting, at which there was entered
on the minutes a record of the gift Of $3.50, 900,
with an expression of gratitude to the
ANONYMOUS donor, with a statement OF the
fact that the capacity Of the institute had
been enlarged by the gift so much that
there would now he room for 500 more
students than before. This was sent to
the Associated Press with the feeling, that
some notice ought TO be taken of so large
a philanthropy. For some reason not
known 10 me the Associated Press saw
fit TO suppress the information
Mr.. Hewitt said that the leases Of all the
tenants now in Cooper Union, except that
OF one mar who had a music store, would
on May /. The music mans lease
for another year but all of the first
floor OF the building except that occupied
by him will be put to the uses of the insti-
tute at once upon the going out of the ten