Wacky Whiskers Wednesday: Inventor, Abolitionist, Neck Beard Enthusiast

Today's Wacky Whiskers Wednesday pick is the American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and (clearly unsuccessful) Presidential candidate, Peter Cooper! Chosen for his Santa white neck beard, Cooper was also a pretty cool dude (I mean, you would have to be to pull that off, right?). He’s so cool, it was hard to pick the coolest things about him so here (in no particular order) are his top 10:

- Very active in the anti-slavery movement
- A strong supporter of the Union during the Civil War
- An advocate for government-issued paper money
- Was dedicated to the protection and elevation of Native Americans
- Led the successful fight to build a public school system in New York
- Founded and gave his name to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
- Designed and built the first steam locomotive in the United States
- Became one of the richest men in New York city when he invested in real estate and insurance, but lived a relatively simple and humble life
- Ran for president in 1876 for the Greenback Party, and at age 85 is the oldest person ever to be nominated by any political party for President
- Was an inventor and owned many patents for his inventions, including some for the manufacture of gelatin—the patents were later sold to a cough syrup manufacturer who developed a pre-packaged form which his wife named “Jell-O” (okay, this one is the coolest)