Two more "giants" of the Harvard house system will retire this year when Judy and John E. Dowling end their 17-year stint as masters of Leverett House.

Students, tutors and administrators said the Dowlings will be dearly missed.

"They have emphasized student concerns as central to the life of Leverett House," said Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III. "They have been strong advocates for the house system in College forums."

The Dowlings announced their retirement in a letter distributed in House mailboxes on Monday. In an interview last night, John Dowling joked that he and his wife felt that it was time to let "other, more energetic people" take over.

When they originally took the post, the pair had intended to keep the job for 10 years. When their 15th year rolled around, they started to think seriously about retirement but postponed the move for two years at the insistence of their daughter, Alexandra.

Because she had lived in Leverett House since she was one year old, Alexandra struck a deal with her parents that they would not retire until after she graduates from high school this spring.

The masters were also deterred by the fact that Judy Dowling's Boston art gallery is making growing demands on her time, according to the letter.

John Dowling, who is also Cabot Professor of Natural Sciences, said that committee work at Harvard, research and frequent trips to Washington mean that he cannot devote as much energy to the post as he would like.

"It is part of our life that we will never forget," he said in a telephone interview last night. "We made many wonderful friends both with undergraduates and members of the Senior Common Room. We made the decision with a great deal of reluctance."

Associate Dean for Residential Housing Thomas A. Dingman '67, who served as the Dowling's senior tutor for nine years, said Leverett has thrived under their leadership.

Dingman said the Dowlings did a particularly good job at building a sense of community in the House through an extraordinary commitment to the process of appointing residential tutors. In Leverett House, students are heavily involved in the tutor selection process.

"That has been a real success story," John Dowling said, noting that he and his wife learned the importance of student involvement when serving as acting masters of Pforzheimer when then-masters Hanna and Woody Hastings were on leave.

"The Hastings made that a custom, and it turned out to be a wonderful way to select masters," John Dowling said.

The Dowlings were especially noted for their ability to be involved with the students in the House.

Students, tutors and the masters in Leverett all read the applications for prospective tutors and each group decides who should receive interviews. If after the interviews there is still not a clear consensus, students invite the candidate back to meet informally in the dining hall.

While Dingman said the Dowlings are not the only masters to involve students heavily in the tutor selection process, he said they are definitely "champions" of the practice, which has resulted in a "diverse and competent" tutorial staff.