"We didn't pepper them with questions," McAfreeadds. "The whole point was to get a sense of theirfit. It was the something else that wastremendously crucial."

Do You Promise Not to Tell?

But perhaps the most crucial aspect of theentire process, all say, is maintaining a highdegree of confidentitality to protect theinterests of current candidates. Elementarystatistics dictate that the majority of thecandidates will not be chosen for the vacancy athand.

Lewis acknowledges that the difficulty ofmaintaining this level of privacy is not lost on him, even as the advisorycommittees walk through House dining halls withcandidates at their side.

"It does require a degree of privacy forsomething that is relatively public," Lewis says.

He says that although there is an interest inkeeping master candidates' names out of thestudent press, there is no intent to keep peopletotally in the dark. McAfee points out that no onelikes to be known as an "also-ran," especiallysomeone who may be considered for anothermastership in the future.

The End Result

But after all the interviews and confidentialproceedings, it is sometimes a matter ofcircumstances or some unquantifiablecharacteristics that wins someone an appointmentas master.

Lewis says he looks at the "raw data"--informalevaluations submitted by search committeemembers--of each of the candidates who make thecommittee's unofficial short list. On his own,Lewis also takes into consideration the specificneeds of each House. Special weight may be givento a master who is considered best able to addressone of the House's identified weaknesses.

As the process draws to a close, Dean of theFaculty Jeremy R. Knowles and President Neil L.Rudenstine are apprised of the committee's andLewis' recommendations. And from that points on,it is only a matter of time before a letterappears in House residents' mailboxes announcingthe new face in their dining hall.

And despite the often strong sentiments foroutgoing masters, many of whom, like the Kielys,have become synonymous with the House communitythey led, McAfee says the search for a new masteris never just a search to replace the old one.

"In order for the institution to treat itselfright, it has to recognize that personalities comeand go, and it's the mastership that's important,"McAfee says. "There's no one way to do tea.