The Great Hall of the Cooper Union has stood since 1858 as a destination for free speech, civic engagement, and a witness to the flow of American history and ideas. Leading thinkers and historical figures have held the stage, including Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Mark Twain. Before they were elected, Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Cleveland, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and Barack Obama all spoke there. I have had the honor of curating and producing signature public events for this historic space and designing the collateral materials used to promote and celebrate them.