The impact of a great teacher goes on—and so does the gratitude of the DU community

“Legendary.” “Never to be forgotten.” These are the words used to describe professor Jerome (Jerry) Kesselman, who came to DU’s School of Accountancy in 1946. During his tenure, Kesselman was revered for his engaging teaching style, passion for accounting and professional ethics, and commitment to DU and his students—a number of whom considered themselves members of the Kesselman family. Today, 24 years after his death and 14 years after the creation of endowed funds in his name, former students, colleagues and members of the accounting profession continue honoring his legacy through gifts to the Kesselman scholarship funds.

How did a teacher generate so much respect and affection and inspire so many to give? The answer is difficult to gauge from the biographical facts alone: Kesselman was born in 1916, received a BS in accounting (’36) and an MBA in economics (’38) from the University of Kansas, and served as a captain in the Merchant Marine during World War II. After the war, he and his wife settled in Denver and, following a short stint in private practice, he joined DU’s business school faculty and also taught at the law school after earning his JD from DU in 1952. Outside the classroom, Kesselman served in many capacities, including as a member of numerous departmental and University committees, a tax expert on KRMA TV Channel 6, an assistant to the chancellor on budgetary matters, an expert witness in court cases and a board member for multiple organizations, including the Rodef Shalom synagogue. He retired in 1993 and that same year received an honorary doctorate from DU.

By any measure, that’s a remarkable career, but what made Kesselman iconic in DU history goes far beyond biographical facts. For example, his passion for instilling ethics in accounting—he taught a professional ethics course starting his first year at DU—helped pave the way for Daniels to become a pioneer in bringing ethical perspectives to business education. A captivating lecturer whose students say “made accounting interesting,” he was named DU’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1963 and influenced the lives and careers of scores of students—among them, Krishen Mehta.

Mehta came to the U.S. as a visiting secondary school student at age 16 and stayed for a short time with the Kesselman family. Later, as an MBA student in accounting and finance, he lived with them, becoming especially close with Kesselman's children, Neil and JoAnn. Named School of Accountancy Alumnus of the Year in 1972, Mehta now is a Senior Global Justice Fellow at Yale University. He also serves as a non-executive director of the London-based Tax Justice Network; is the founder and director of Asia Initiatives, a nonprofit that leverages social capital to promote women’s empowerment in Asia and Africa; and is a trustee of DU’s Korbel School of International Relations.

Honoring Kesselman as both a teacher and mentor, Krishen endowed scholarships in the names of Jerry (2011) and his wife, Fern (2014) Kesselman at the School of Accountancy, where Neil Kesselman and his wife Carol have also contributed generously—as have many other accounting alumni who, years later, wax lyrical about Kesselman’s influence. So does Sharon S. Lassar, PhD, CPA, the John J. Gilbert Chair of the Accounting Department. “Jerry inspired students to pursue a PhD so that they could follow in his footsteps and advance accounting theory,” Sharon says. “One of those, Bob Swieringa, earned a PhD at the University of Illinois and, after 10 years of teaching and research at Cornell, joined the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) because of his love for studying practice issues through an academic lens, something clearly inspired by Jerry. Some of Jerry’s other students went on to earn their PhDs, and two even returned to DU as faculty members—the late Jim Sorenson and the now retired F. Lee Pollart.”

The Jerry Kesselman Endowed Scholarship Fund supports undergraduate accounting students and is based on academic merit and need. Similarly, the Fern Kesselman Endowed Scholarship Fund provides scholarship support to deserving accounting majors.

One recent awardee, Holly Trujillo (BSAcc ’23), wrote, “Receiving the Kesselman scholarship provided financial support during my time at DU and was invaluable in that it allowed me to pay for school and gave me the opportunity to not worry about finances. When I met Neil and Carol, it was empowering to feel the love and support they have for DU students. I am grateful for their generosity and that they are part of the DU network.”

Neil Kesselman, a retired pediatrician, says that the impact of his and his wife Carol’s gifts to the Kesselman Scholarship Endowment has been especially rewarding. He echoes Trujillo, saying that it’s “a wonderful experience to also meet the recipients.”

That “wonderful experience” is something that began with Jerry Kesselman’s extraordinary teaching, was manifest in his fulfilling personal life and community engagement and continues to be cherished and paid forward by scores of appreciative DU alumni, friends and, not least, family.