In 47 years on the faculty of the University of Michigan (1881-1928), both as professor and dean, Cooley was mainly responsible for elevating its College of Engineering from a minor position to one of the most outstanding in the world. He was the leading exponent of a broader education for engineers beyond the technical requirements of the profession and of the involvement of engineers in public affairs. He helped establish at the university, both a short course for in-service training of highway engineers and officials, and a laboratory for the testing of road materials, one of the firsts in the country. As chairman of the State Highway Advisory Board (1933-1943), he was in the forefront of efforts to make Michigan's highway system one of the nation's best.