But once on the committee, many describe the process as egalitarian--if even as a bonding experience--where all members work together despite wide age and power differentials, putting in long huors to find the best master for the House.

McAfee says the Lowell group interviewed all 12 candidates over 14 days last year, not to mention the time spent after each interview drawing up initial reactions to the candidates.

Another search committee participant last year said he pegged the total time commitment at about 50 hours--and said the group met with and discussed some candidates for upwards of two and a half hours.

Over Dinner

Meals with the candidates are often the first point of interaction with search committee members using a shared supper as a chance to judge each candidate on a number of levels.

In general, participants say they hoped to glean from the interview the prospective masters' personalities, possible time commitment to the job, hopes for the position and interaction with students, among other things.

They also considered each candidate's marital status, the relationship between the potential master and co-master, and whether the candidate had children, although all involved say neither of these criteria was a determing factor.

Weld Professor of Law Charles R. Nesson '60, who says that three years ago he and his wife Fern were offered the Pforzheimer House--then North House--mastership, recalls having dinner in the House with only Lewis, who was overseeing his first master search, and a tutor.