William Rimmer: Cooper Union School of Design

View of an aisle in Cooper Union
School of Design for Women

"In 1866 Dr. Rimmer was invited by one of his pupils, a lady, to visit New York, and while there gave a lecture that greatly impressed those in attendance, including the Hon. Peter Cooper, the founder of the institute which bears his name. A movement was immediately inaugurated to induce Rimmer to come to New York as a lecturer and Mr. Cooper offered the use of a room in the institute, and Dr. Rimmer delivered a few lectures there.

These gave so much satisfaction that the trustees of the School of Design for Women, one of the art departments of the Cooper Institute, invited Dr. Rimmer to become its director and chief instructor. It was thought by the trustees that if a capable artist was placed at its head, with full power of direction and supervision, the success of the school would be more certain. Dr. Rimmer accepted the invitation at a salary of three thousand dollars a year, with the understanding that he should procure whatever assistance he might need in the way of instructors, and pay them out of this sum. He had at length an opportunity to carry out freely his ideas concerning art education.

The principal and philanthropic object of the school was the education of young women in the various industrial arts, in order that they might become self-supporting. The comprehensive and varied program he undertook to carry out in a school numbering from one hundred to two hundred pupils, without any professional assistance except that given by the more advanced students and those who were preparing to become teachers. The majority of the pupils were under twenty years of age. Some of them had followed their instructor from Boston, and there were constantly more applicants than could be accommodated. School hours were from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. daily, Saturdays excepted, with an hour lecture from noon - 1 p.m.

The School of Design soon gained a worthy public distinction. Distinguished educators from different parts of this country and Europe visited it, and were warm in their praise of the great work it was accomplishing in art education. Its pupils went tot all parts of the country as teachers. Others became distinguished as artists. Every thing which the fertile brain of its director could imagine for the benefit of his classes was done. To all intents and purposes the school was his own, the pupils being to him as his own children, their success occupying all his thought."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Art Life of William Rimmer: Sculptor, Painter, and Physician" by Truman Howe Bartlett.)