Mr. Cooper specifically was an interesting character. He invented Gelatin mix(and his wife invented the household packaged version which she named Jello), was involved in the SS Great Eastern and the Transatlantic Cable project, invented the anthracite coal smelting system used until the 1950s, invented the steel safety rocking chair, built the first ever steam locomotive in America(the Tom Thumb), founded Cooper Union College in Manhatten and advocated for free higher education(His college was funded by him and his family and was free until the 2014 when the family funds were strained by the Great Recession and they started charging tuition), pushed for ending the gold standard, was anti-slavery, opened an orphanage in New York, was a huge fan of the arts. He started off pretty poor(hatmaker for a bit, thankfully he quit that business before they switched from urine to mercury, then he was a brewer and a cabinet maker), but he invented a new chain system to help move boats through the Erie Canal and got some money from De Witt Clinton and went into a line of glue factories.