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South Carolina ETV's Presentation
of "Mechanic to Millionaire: The Peter Cooper Story"
Reveals a Man Whose Many Contributions
to Modern Society Have Been Forgotten

For Immediate Release
September 1, 2010

Columbia, SC… Peter Cooper. The name may not carry the same cache and instant recognition as Andrew Carnegie or John D. Rockefeller, but his contributions to American society are arguably just as, if not more, important. Few men have had more to do with this country's transition from an agrarian to an industrial society, and from an uncertain nation to one that was rich, strong and confident. And yet, chances are you've never heard of him.

This fall, South Carolina ETV and American Public Television aim to change that with the national presentation of "Mechanic to Millionaire: The Peter Cooper Story." The hour-long program was produced by Janet Gardner with The Gardner Documentary Group.

It will air on ETV on Monday, Oct. 4 at 10:30 p.m. with an encore presentation on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. Viewers outside of South Carolina should check their local listings for dates and times.

Born in 1791, less than a decade after the end of the Revolutionary War, his personal story not only parallels the meteoric rise of this great nation, but in many ways was also the cause of it.

Cooper invented the first washing machine and cobbled together "The Tom Thumb," the first steam locomotive, with spare parts. He pioneered the manufacture and use of iron I-beams that became the standard of construction for the modern skyscraper. He was instrumental in laying the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable that connected the United States with Great Britain. And everyday, millions of children enjoy one of Cooper's first innovations, an instant flavored gelatin, now known as "Jell-O."

Amazingly, he did all of this with less than one year of formal schooling.

Despite his own lack of education (or perhaps because of it), Cooper staunchly believed that education was the key to social and economic mobility. In 1859, he founded The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, realizing his dream of providing free higher education based on merit, regardless of race, gender, religion or class. A pioneer in adult education, he introduced the concept of night school for those students who had to work during the day.

After the Civil War, Cooper bought Limestone Springs Female High School in Limestone Springs (now Gaffney), South Carolina, saving it from bankruptcy. He hoped to educate the working classes, including children of freed slaves. Although that plan did not work out, the school reverted back to a women's college, training many teachers. Cooper Hall on the Limestone College campus pays tribute to Peter Cooper, as does a street named in his honor. Now co-educational, the college offers online and practical courses and continues to educate many first generation college students.

Cooper's life and concept of social justice had a ripple effect throughout the country. He inspired Carnegie and others with his idea of "wealth as a public trust," and pioneered a culture of philanthropy among the country's wealthy. Ezra Cornell, George Peabody, Booker T. Washington, and his friend, Mathew Vassar, followed Cooper's examples in education.

"Mechanic to Millionaire: The Peter Cooper Story" reveals the life and times of this 19th century pioneering inventor and philanthropist who still speaks to us. It is hard to imagine a world without Cooper's contributions, which not only set us on the path toward becoming the most powerful nation on Earth, but also lay the ground work of philanthropy that made us one of the most generous.

Production Credits:
Produced by The Gardner Documentary Group and Presented by South Carolina ETV
Producer/Director: Janet Gardner
Writer/Consulting Producer: Elena Mannes
Editor/Coordinating Producer: Jessica Weiner
Director of Photography: Kevin Cloutier

Funding by: The National Endowment for the Humanities, New Jersey Historical Commission, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, Humanities Council of South Carolina and the Maryland Humanities Council.

About APT:
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P.Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Great American Songbook and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.

About South Carolina ETV (SCETV):
SCETV brings non-commercial, inspiring public television not only to the citizens of South Carolina, but through its national productions, to the rest of the United States and the world. Recent presentations include, The Adventists, The World of Julia Peterkin: Cheating the Stillness, Uncorked! Wine Made Simple, and Not in God's Name, featuring the Dalai Lama. Past productions include The Power of Forgiveness, Making Schools Work with Hedrick Smith, and Journey to Planet Earth, hosted by Matt Damon (the only continuing environmental series on PBS). SCETV Radio produces Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, NPR’s longest running performance program. For more information, visit www.scetv.org.

About the Gardner Documentary Group:
The Gardner Documentary Group started in Rocky Hill, New Jersey in 1990 and was incorporated in 1997 as a not for profit organization. The company facilitates the production of documentaries for educational television, schools, colleges and libraries. Productions include: Precious Cargo, covering Operation Babylift and the first generation of Vietnamese adoptees; The Last Ghost of War, an update on results of US use of herbicides including Agent Orange in Vietnam narrated by Kevin Kline; and Dancing Through Death about Cambodian dancers who survived the Khmer Rouge regime. The Gardner Group receives foundation grants, individual contributions, corporate donations and government funding for the production of socially responsible and educational documentaries. The Gardner Group has a special interest in films about hidden history. For more information, visit http://gardnerdocgroup.com and http://petercooperstory.com.

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For more information contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

A young Peter Cooper (Paolo Federico-O'Murchu) learns the hat making trade from his father (Dan Lawrence). The scene was filmed at Old Bethpage Restoration Village in New York. Photo credit: Linda Federico-O'Murchu.

Peter Cooper (Scott Klavan) aboard The Tom Thumb, America’s first steam locomotive. Filmed at The B&O Railroad Museum. Photo Credit: Dennis Townes.

Original gelatin advertisement with Peter Cooper's portrait. In 1845, he obtained a patent for the manufacture of gelatin. Courtesy: Eugene Thordahl Collection.

Portrait of Peter Cooper. Photo Credit: The Cooper Union Library Archives.