Celebrating 50 years of friendship and family

Sheldon Glassman ’77, P’12 fondly remembers his very first day at the University of Rochester. Like many first-year students, he was sitting alone in his sparse dorm room in the Hollister wing of Susan B. Anthony Hall when he spotted someone in a gold windbreaker walking past his open door.

“Hey,” Sheldon shouted out of his room. “You want to grab a beer?”

Little did he or Ron Taylor ’76, ’77S (MBA), P’18—the guy in the gold windbreaker—know that saying “yes” to grabbing a pint together would ignite a decades-long friendship. The two quickly became inseparable, navigating their first years of college and all the rituals and routines that defined their Rochester experience.

Their friendship deepened the next year when they happened to meet Dave Crowley ’78, ’79S (MBA), P’19, another resident in Susan B. Anthony Hall. The duo quickly became a trio. Over regular meals at Jay’s Diner the three young men bonded, finding comfort in knowing they had found their people. And the rest, they say, is history.

Life after Rochester
After graduation and graduate school, life quickly accelerated. New cities replaced old residence halls in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Still, Sheldon, Ron, and Dave made staying connected a priority. The friends were like brothers, and eventually two of them became brothers-in-law when Ron married Dave’s sister, Cindy Crowley. At another gathering the three attended, Sheldon met his wife, Reesa Savett. In time, their small group doubled in size. Dave likes to joke, “Clearly, we know how to create the ambience needed for making new connections.”

Over the years, the friends rented a summer house in the Berkshires, helped to build a log cabin in Vermont, and traveled to countless alumni-organized gatherings that kept their friendship strong. One tradition became central to keeping the connection steady: an annual summer bash, hosted by close friend and fellow alumnus Jeffrey Elsner ’77, that ran for 15 years. “That annual party really cemented things,” Ron recalls. “We saw each other every year—even if that party was the only time we did.”

Then their families started to grow. Children came along. Before they knew it, Sheldon, Ron, and Dave added another shared experience at the University of Rochester: parent.

Friendship across generations
In 2007, Sheldon’s son James was the first of the children to apply. As University parents, the trio rediscovered campus through a new lens—one that blended nostalgia with pride. Turns out latenight study sessions in the stacks are relatable no matter your generation. By 2019, each had a child who graduated from URochester: James Glassman ’12, Jeff Taylor ’18, and Alex Crowley ’19.

During Meliora Weekends, they balanced their roles as alumni and parents, spending quality time together between events and meetups with their students. “We would hang out with Sheldon, Reesa, Cindy, and Ron on campus and then wander off with just our family,” says Diane Crowley. “It was really fun and interesting to bond with old friends and visit our son Alex while attending such entertaining events.”

Then the weddings came, with each of their children marrying another URochester graduate. James married Paige Levy ’12 in 2017. Alex married Sandy Loomis ’18 in 2024. And Jeff married Kyra Battaglia ’19 in 2025.

The connection to the University felt stronger than ever at these weddings. Group photos with fellow Yellowjackets became a new can’t-miss tradition, and they were always submitted to Rochester Review. “One of the great things about these weddings is the alumni picture,” Sheldon says. “There are monumental numbers of Rochester graduates in these photos.”

Lifelong learning and shared experiences
With each new life chapter, the group continued to find meaningful ways to stay engaged with the University and each other. One such opportunity came through the University of Rochester Travel Club, which offers alumni and friends the opportunity to explore the world alongside faculty members who enhance the experience with expert commentary and teaching.

The Taylors have traveled extensively with the program, but it was Reesa’s idea to register for the Flavors of Northern Italy trip in May 2024 to celebrate Ron and his twin brother Don Taylor’s 70th birthdays. The response from the group was immediate. “The minute Reesa asked, we all said ‘yes,’” Sheldon recalls.

And so Sheldon and Reesa, Ron and Cindy, Dave and Diane, and Don and his wife (the two are considered honorary URochester alumni) traveled through Northern Italy together—sharing meals, taking cooking classes, cruising lakes, and forming new friendships along the way.

The experience created new memories for the friend group and made new connections with other alumni travelers. A WhatsApp group formed during the trip remains active today, extending the sense of community long after the journey ended.

A connection that endures
Five decades after that spontaneous invitation in Susan B. Anthony Hall, the bonds among Sheldon, Ron, and Dave remain unshakable.

There were times we didn’t see each other for two or three years, but the minute we do get into a room together, it’s like we just saw each other yesterday.”-Sheldon Glassman

As the University embarks on its comprehensive For Ever Better campaign, alumni are reminded that the connections formed at URochester shape us, grow with us, and can endure for a lifetime.

“Outside of my immediate family, the friends I’ve had the longest are my Rochester friends that I’ve known now for more than 50 years,” Dave says. “It’s a strong relationship and something that’s really important to me.”

The friends are already planning their next adventure together—another Travel Club trip to Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast in October 2026—proving that meaningful life connections can be made when one person opens a door and another steps through it.

 

-Kelly Kuehn, August 2026

This story originally appeared in the For Ever Better campaign edition of the University of Rochester BUZZ magazine, a publication that celebrates and inspires our vibrant, global community of more than 130,000 alumni, and countless other friends. Share your URochester story with us at alumni@rochester.edu or on socials @urochesteralumni