Edward Cooper was the 83rd Mayor of New York City from 1879 to 1880 and the second president of the Cooper Union. He was the only surviving son of industrialist Peter Cooper.

Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the Tom Thumb, founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, served as its first president, and stood for election as the Greenback Party's candidate in the 1876 presidential election.