Jean Mayer, professor of Nutrition and master of Dudley House, will be named the tenth president of Tufts University today, marking the end of a nine-month search in which nearly 400 candidates were considered.

"I accepted the offer because I like Tufts, and because it's big enough, but not too big, so that I can try some innovative things," Mayer said yesterday.

"It was a very difficult choice because I love Harvard, and I'm particularly saddened to leave Dudley House," Mayer added.

Educational Excitement

Alexander N. McFarlane, chairman of the board of trustees of Tufts, said yesterday, "Dr. Mayer will be an outstanding president. I'm looking forward to educational excitement."

The trustees had offered Harry Woolf, provost of Johns Hopkins University, the presidency last month, but he declined the offer. Mayer will replace Burton C. Hallowell, the retiring president, on July 1.

John R. Marquand '63, senior tutor of Dudley House, said yesterday, "It will be a great loss to Dudley House and to the entire University," but added that Mayer will "unquestionably be an outstanding president."

Competent Scholar

"Tufts is getting a very distinguished and extraordinarily competent scholar, Harvard's loss is Tufts' gain," Marquand said.

Mayer said he had been offered the presidency of "several" other colleges previously, but that he was happy he had not accepted until now. "I wanted to do some research and teaching before I became a college president," Mayer said.

A random sample of 20 Tufts undergraduates agreed with Susan T. Murray, Tufts '76, who said, "I'm very pleased and happy, because from what I've heard, he seems to be a fantastic person and a really neat guy."

Wants to Lecture

Mayer said he does not want to be a "100 per cent administrator," "I hope to continue giving lectures, but I will not be able to run a laboratory myself," he added.

A member of the Faculty since 1950, Mayer has served under Presidents Nixon and Ford as an advisor and consultant on various food and nutrition matters, and is presently a member of the President's Consumer Advisory Council.