On the morning of Monday, March 27, Zeta Beta Tau woke up to devastating news that we had lost one of the greatest members to walk through the doors of 1 Edgecliff Place.

Samuel Ozure Kesselman ’20 was our esteemed brother, friend, and mentor, but his loss was felt far beyond the outreach of our brotherhood. He was a 2022 graduate of Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in policy analysis and management. He worked in Washington, D.C., at Ernst & Young within the firm’s Government and Public Sector consulting team in People Advisory Services.

Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, Sam transferred to Cornell from Tulane University after his freshman year; shortly thereafter, he joined Kappa Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau. As the only transfer student in his new member class, he brought an unrivaled level of guidance, support, and leadership to the others in his member class. Sam earned the respect of the entire brotherhood, which ultimately led to him serving as chapter president during the 2020-21 school year.

During a time that challenged us all due to the negative impacts COVID-19 had on the world, Sam rose to the top and led the brotherhood to a safe and successful school year. The fraternity-wide GPA remained the highest out of all fraternities on campus—an honor that we have held ever since. After serving as president, Sam became our director of standards—an obvious fit, since no one embodied our credo more than him.

Outside the fraternity, Sam was heavily involved with the student body of the greater Cornell community. He was a dedicated member and new member educator for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, where he promoted and educated on the essential and professional business qualifications needed for younger classmen as they were applying for internships. In addition, Sam was a teacher’s assistant for Introduction to Policy Analysis, a requirement for all other “PAM” majors at Cornell. He was also a recruitment board member of the Cornell Political Union and a varsity competitor for the Cornell Spanish Debate Society.

Following his passing, members of Kappa Chapter hosted a memorial service in his honor. On a rainy day in the middle of the prelim season, the chapter house was filled beyond its maximum capacity, along with many more joining through Zoom, with students and faculty who came together to share their love for Kess. It was a day filled with lots of tears, hugs and, most importantly, love and unity in Sam’s honor.

Two days later, brothers from six generations of Zeta Beta Tau traveled to Sam’s hometown for his funeral. It was an extremely heavy day, but an important one that reminded the brothers of ZBT of the fraternity’s strength and the lifelong lessons we teach each other daily.

Kesselman was a true proponent of change and held himself to the highest moral standard. In his memory, he still inspires those he had an impact on to do the right thing and challenge each other to become the best versions of themselves. In his honor, the brothers of Kappa will be renaming the chapter room the Sam Kesselman Chapter Room and installing a plaque in his honor.

We love and miss you, Kess.

Jonny Grossman ‘23

Bryan Vicente ‘24

At the start of his sophomore year, David Coyne ’90 and his friends became the founding fathers of the reestablished. Kappa Chapter at Cornell. For Dave, having the opportunity to help form a strong chapter on campus was exciting. “We all jumped at the opportunity to create the chapter and its culture from scratch.” Their passion for their new chapter led to great recruiting efforts and the chance to reclaim their ancestral home, Edgecliff, the next year.

Once he and his brothers were living at Edgecliff, Dave took on the role as house manager. He always had a passion for working with his hands and managing the house gave him the opportunity to put those skills to the test. “I built a lot of lofts for the men at ZBT and put a lot of work into renovations on the house.”

One of the rooms that proved to be a challenging renovation was Dave’s favorite room: the chapter room.

“It was called the ‘Pink Room’ because, when we got the house back, the entire room was pink. All the trim and the fireplace had been painted pink! After some marathon work sessions that every brother helped with (and a lot of paint stripper), we restored the room to its original state. That room became the venue for our meetings, watching games on the TV, parties, playing pool, and having friends over to sit in front of a fire in that big, old fireplace.”

Along with the wonderful memories that he made at Edgecliff, Dave has made it clear he would not have the same sense of belonging during college and in his community without ZBT.

“The Zeta Beta Tau brotherhood is a rich source of both [friendships and professional relation ships]. It helped me to feel less isolated on a large campus and be part of something larger with a special history. And the global network of alumni similarly helps ‘shrink the world’ a bit by providing that first connection with thousands of other people.”

The connections he made through Kappa have continued to help him succeed throughout his life. “I certainly have relied upon my network of brothers for services and advice at various times and the responsibility as an undergraduate house manager did offer a little experience managing people to perform renovation projects.” Those strong memories, the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood, and valuable leadership skills are the reasons why he has stayed involved with Edgecliff and the alumni corporation all these years.

After leaving the IT services field and moving from Boston to western Massachusetts, Dave started his own residential remodeling business, incorporating the skills he learned from his time at Edgecliff. He enjoys staying active by going to the gym several times a week, hiking, kayaking, and competing in obstacle course races like Rugged Maniac and the Spartan. Dave also enjoys spending time with his wife of 20 years, Diana, and his children and always welcomes the chance to see his ZBT brothers. You can connect with Dave at dave@davecoyne.com.

As a refounding father of the Kappa Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau, Todd Ackerman ’89 had an opportunity that most aren’t able to experience. Along with his good friends, they were able to refound and mold the Kappa Chapter into what it is today—even securing their chapter house after discovering a sorority house was using it and the lease was up.

“We decided to start from scratch, dictate the culture, and find people who wanted to do the same thing.”

Upon graduating from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Todd realized it was important to him to work for himself. He has spent the last 25 years in the insurance business. His firm is Cedar Point Financial Services. Todd specializes in life and disability insurance planning, with an emphasis on helping people save money for retirement and defer income taxes. As an independent broker, he is able to represent any company or carrier, and most importantly, set his own schedule.

There is no question that Zeta Beta Tau has had a large impact on his business. “People like to do business with those they like and know,” he shared. There’s a natural connection between brothers, and Todd has taken the “brotherhood for life” mantra to heart. He remains in touch with his Kappa brothers, as well as ZBT alumni from across the country as the co-president of the ZBT Los Angeles Alumni Association. They meet for quarterly lunches and other events throughout the year.

Todd advises both current and future members to take advantage of these connections, as “you never know when your paths may cross again.” He believes that the fraternity experience while in college is almost an entirely different college experience from those who don’t get involved with Greek life. “The fraternity provides structure and the opportunity to meet like-minded people who share similar values,” he explained. Having the perspective and clarity he does now, Todd feels lucky to have been able to have that experience.

In addition to keeping up with his Kappa brothers, Todd enjoys spending his summers at a lake house he built seven years ago in the Adirondack Mountains, and the other half in Santa Monica, California. He also trains and competes in IronMan triathlons. Most importantly, he cherishes his time spent with his family, especially his two daughters. Todd looks forward to helping future young men follow the same path he did to Kappa and ZBT, so others can have the benefits of the fraternity—a brotherhood for life.

You can connect with Todd at todd@toddackerman.net.

Can you tell us about your time at Cornell, regarding academics and campus involvement?

I was in the College of Arts and Sciences, where I majored in economics and took many electives in the dairy school. I served on our class council and on the Interfraternity Council as chairman of the rush committee. I also played on the Cornell basketball team my freshman year, and I competed on many of the ZBT intramural teams as well. I was in the Naval ROTC program at Cornell and served on active duty as an officer aboard the USS Wisconsin battleship for two years after graduation (this was my graduate school).

Can you describe your career path for us and what you are doing now?

I joined our family business (Clinton Milk Company) in Newark, New Jersey. After 50 years in business, I sold my company to the Italian corporation Parmalat. I am very happily retired now and spend much of my time involved in community activities and traveling the world.

What advice would you give to brothers who are starting to look for internships and jobs?

Of course, good grades always help. Get involved on campus and be a responsible citizen. Have relationships with your professors and take advantage of the university’s career-services resources. If you know your career goals, seek advice from professors in those areas of interest to you, and be sure to network as much as possible.

How did your time in ZBT affect your Cornell experience and shape you as a person?

My involvement as president of the chapter and being active in house committees were great experiences. One of my favorite memories was attending the ZBT National Convention in Miami, Florida, in August 1954. At that time, ZBT was a strictly Jewish fraternity, and there was a resolution to allow non-Jews to be members. I was one of the speakers in favor of the change, and after two days of politicking and hours of debate, the chapters approved the reform by a vote of 25-23.

What is your favorite memory from living in ZBT at 1 Edgecliff Place?

I lived in Edgecliff for three-and-a-half of my four years at Cornell. It was a wonderful experience, especially going from the youngest in the house as a freshman to the oldest as a senior. We were very fortunate to have Henry Van Horn as our house manager, who cleaned our rooms every day. When new ZBT bylaws allowed nonJews to become members of the fraternity, we installed Henry as a brother. Also during my senior year, we ran a capital campaign to raise funds from alumni and the Kappa Foundation to increase the size of our house by about a third. Since classes didn’t end until Memorial Day in those days, we were able to enjoy the springtime in Ithaca, especially “houseparty weekend” in mid-May. During all those years, I enjoyed the camaraderie of my brothers and have maintained lifelong relationships with many of them.

What are your goals for ZBT Kappa moving forward?

The brothers should decide on the desired size of membership and have a plan to accomplish their goal. Getting perspective brothers to visit Edgecliff during rush week should be of primary importance.

As of 2019, Marx is still doing well. He was diagnosed with liver cancer in August 2018 but fought through it and was declared cancer-free. Read more about his battle at https://cinj.org/patient-care/ironmans-new-lease-life.

Can you tell us about your time at Cornell, regarding academics and campus involvement?

I attended ILR from 1987 until graduating in 1991. I was not the most academically directed student or the most involved undergrad on campus, so the fraternity was a real center of gravity for me. I called the house my home for two years and found most of my friends there. Even though I did not intend to become a lawyer, and without my even realizing it at the time, ILR provided me with valuable skills in critical reading and persuasive writing. There is a good reason why so many ILRies end up in law school.

Can you describe your career path for us and what you are doing now?

I am a partner at Leason Ellis, LLP, in White Plains, New York. We are an intellectual-property law firm. I joined the firm in 2009, when we were just five attorneys. Today, we have about 30 attorneys plus an almost equal number of staff, so the growth has been tremendously gratifying. I am a trademark and copyright lawyer, so much of my practice is devoted to protecting brand names in the U.S. and internationally.

What advice would you give to brothers who are starting to look for internships and jobs?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to alumni for information and prospects. There is no harm in trying, although be respectful of their time. I still find it amazing how hard I work as a professional, especially compared to my years as an undergrad, so time is a precious commodity. Brothers should also look out for opportunities at smaller firms and companies like mine, which do not have formal hiring programs. It is often a matter of being the right person at the right time, because these kinds of businesses tend to hire on an ad hoc basis. In fact, I found my first position as a summer associate at a boutique trademark law firm through a personal connection at the last minute, and I have never looked back.

How did your time in ZBT affect your Cornell experience and shape you as a person?

As a Kappa, I was surrounded by an incredibly bright and surprisingly diverse group of brothers. You would never have known how truly bright they were until they ended up going to top medical, law, and business schools, as well as other professions after college. They were such interesting characters and had such full social lives. Whether it was off-roading in the woods around Ithaca or late-night road-tripping to Binghamton, they knew how to have fun. Many of them continue to serve as a great inspiration for me. I hope that they would be pleasantly surprised by how much I have matured since my days as an undergrad.

What is your favorite memory from living in ZBT at 1 Edgecliff Place?

I was a re-founding father when Kappa reconstituted itself in 1988. We were a small band of brothers who joined together to bring ZBT back to Cornell. Our initial goal was to reclaim Edgecliff from the sorority who leased the house at the time. In a stirring meeting reminiscent of the revolutionary congress (as far as these things go), Dan Fried, who was our vice-president, proclaimed “ZBT and Edgecliff are inseparable!” A short time later, the proclamation came true (although the sorority did sabotage the toilets before their hasty retreat).

What are your goals for ZBT Kappa moving forward?

Earlier this year, I was appointed head of alumni affairs for the house. My immediate goals include obtaining current email addresses for all alumni, increasing the membership of our group on LinkedIn, and moving our communications into the 21st century with email, the internet, and other electronic media. I invite those interested in helping to send an email to me at sloane@leasonellis.com. I am confident that some of Kappa’s finest days are yet to come, and I look forward to doing what I can to make it happen.

Can you tell us a little about your academic experience at Cornell?

At the beginning of my freshman year, I was a bit intimidated as a Chicago Public School graduate among what seemed like a lot of prep-school and elite eastern high-school classmates, but I worked hard, and my first-semester grades turned out to be off the chart, which I think might have helped me when I rushed ZBT between semesters, because the house put a high value on academics (I think my grades might have offset an otherwise deficient cool factor; plus, in the ’60s, Kappa seemed to like Midwesterners). Although I never quite equaled my first-semester grades, I was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in my junior year and graduated magna cum laude in English. In those days, ZBT, Sigma Chi, and one or two other houses vied for the top academic average on campus.

Can you tell us about your career path and what you are doing now?

After Cornell, I went to Harvard Law School, where I was selected to be an editor of law reviews. After graduation, I clerked in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and then practiced corporate law in one of the Chicago firms that recruited me at Harvard. I became a partner in 1975 and left in 1978 to form a new small firm with four contemporaries. We built that firm to 90+ lawyers over the next 30 years, and in 2009, I left to become general counsel of my largest client, a diversified financial services firm. I continue in that role today, not because I have to work at this point, but because I enjoy it and believe I still add value. Leaving my firm when I did was part of a process, one that I championed, of clearing the way for the next generation of leadership. The firm continues to thrive.

What advice would you offer the brothers who are starting to look for internships and jobs or who are young professionals?

Of course, it will depend on your fields, but I encourage each of you to pursue a career that you believe will engage at least some of your passion and will play to your personal strengths, not just one of the current hot tracks. Everyone can’t be a playwright or change the world, but if you don’t find meaning in what you do, the days, the years can be long and empty. I didn‘t always want to be a lawyer, but in the Vietnam era, law school seemed like a better place to be. I discovered that I enjoyed learning how to think like a lawyer and had a knack for it, and I made choices along the way that kept my career interesting and gave me a sense of growth. Also, you should do your due diligence on the culture and values that drive any firm you’re considering. These days, that’s easier to do. I recognize that people starting out today do not assume that they will stay at one place or do one thing for their entire career, and I appreciate—almost envy—that flexibility and openness, but early career experiences can be crucial in forming one’s work character and opening networking doors. Being able to explain your career arc is important to discerning interviewers.

Can you tell us about your time in ZBT and how you think it shaped you as a person?

I made a great group of friends at ZBT, and they are most of the classmates that I still stay in touch with. (By the way, ZBT ’65 is planning another get together in NYC next spring!) The house was competitive and stimulating: work hard, play hard, like Cornell. The high standards of the house encouraged me to keep my grades up and to seek out leadership positions on the Hill. I picked up a layer of East Coast sophistication from my New York brothers, but I retained my Midwestern values. I had to hold down a job to help pay for my dues, but I loved the whole ZBT experience. (I have contributed to Kappa Foundation ever since.)

What is one of your favorite memories from your time in ZBT at Cornell and living in Edgecliff?

I met the girl who would become my wife at the beginning of sophomore year (our 50th wedding anniversary is next July), and we had so many wonderful times at parties at “Zebe” that it is hard for me to single out one memory. Pledging was overdone, and my class began the diversification of the brotherhood at Kappa while I was there. The cook, John Brown, was an incredible character, and the houseman, Henry Van Hom, a legend. And my pledgemate and closest friend, Bruce Bernstein, married my wife’s identical twin sister and lives five minutes away from us.

What are your goals for ZBT at Cornell moving forward?

First, keep the chapter viable and vital. Care about character, academics, and leadership. They will serve you better in life than great parties and cool pranks. I imagine that many past brothers think that their era was a golden age, but ZBT Kappa in the early ’60s was outstanding. Honor and keep up Edgecliff as best you can; that property is a treasure, old as it is.

What advice would you offer the current brothers to make the most of their experiences in ZBT and at Cornell?

Have a ball, invest in relationships, expose yourself to the best minds on campus, even if the course doesn‘t fit your major or your present notions of career. This can be a magical period in your lives, so open yourself up, try new things, and keep an eye on your future, but don’t be a slave to what you think you want to do after school. Life will surprise you.