The House system--an institution perhaps most proud of its sense of tradition and continuity--trembled this year when a couple of "giants" announced they would step down from their posts at the end of the term.

Lowell House Master William H. Bossert '59 and Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 announced earlier this year they would resign this June, freeing up the positions which the two men and their wives and co-Masters, Mary Lee and Judith, have held for a combined total of 40 years.

In their respective 23- and 17-year tenures, the Bosserts and Dowlings have been among the most influential of the College's 24 Masters and co-Masters and have been outspoken on issues affecting House life--though sometimes on different sides of the debate.

But with their departure and the College's appointment to Lowell House of Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Diana L. Eck and her partner Dorothy A. Austin--the first same-sex couple ever to serve as House masters--and of Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Howard Georgi '67 and his wife Ann to Leverett House, the House system finds itself in new, less-tested hands.

Tradition Embodied

Known for their weekly teas and strong sense of House spirit, the Bosserts said they never expected what was intended to be a one-year appointment to turn into a 23-year tenure at Lowell's helm.

Originally asked to serve as temporary masters for one academic year, William Bossert said when they did not hear anything from University Hall at the end of that term, he and his wife simply stayed on as Masters.

That one year, Bossert said, quickly extended to a decade.

"After 10 years, we made an appointment to meet with [then University president] Derek [C.] Bok," he quipped.

But while extolling their time as masters as "the biggest thing in our lives after our children," the Bosserts said more than two decades of service was enough for them.

"Twenty-three years is too long [to be masters]," Professor Bossert said. "We're a little tired," he added jokingly.

Not having taken a sabbatical during their mastership, the Bosserts' time as Masters has not been without sacrifice. Bossert, who is also Arnold professor of science, said he "submerged" his research in order to dedicate more time to his position--a trend he hopes to reverse in the coming years.

Though departing, the Bosserts leave an indelible print both on Lowell House and the College as a whole.

In a letter to House affiliates publicizing their resignation, the Bosserts said they are especially proud of Lowell's strong Senior Common Room.

"We mean what we say frequently that if Lowell House should secede from Harvard it would have one of the finest small-college liberal arts faculties in the world," the Bosserts wrote.