 After Peter Cooper's death in 1883, Edward Cooper succeeded to the presidency of the Cooper Union.Active in politics as a Democrat, Cooper was a delegate to The 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, and the 1876 Democratic National Convention in St. Louis.With Hewitt, Samuel J. Tilden and others, Cooper was recognized as a leader of the Swallowtails, named for the Swallowtail coat.