Dunster House Masters To Step Down in June

Dunster House Master Karel F. Liem--the first minority to be appointed to that position--has announced that he will step down at the end of this year.

Liem and his wife Hetty, who is co-master, have served for the past 12 years and headed the House during one of its most troubled times. In 1995, when a murder-suicide involving two Dunster students rocked the College and shocked the country, Dunster House drew national media attention--and Harvard's advising system drew considerable scrutiny.

Liem, who is 65, said he decided to give up his post as master because the time was right.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Dunster, but it's time for a younger person to take the lead," he said.

Some current Dunster residents describe the Liems as strong student advocates. According to Michael T. Coscetta '01, Liem is "probably the most popular House master on campus."

"He'll do whatever the students want," Coscetta said. "He'll fight for us against other House masters and the administration."

Melissa H. Coleman '02 remembers approaching the masters with a plan to start an art studio that would require $800 to set up.

"As a sophomore asking for this sum, I was very nervous. But from the first, they were enthusiastic and gave us the money...So we love our masters," she said.

Liem said he is proud of shaping a House where students have a powerful voice. His biggest regret, he added, was not being able to get more common room space for the House.

"I didn't get any support for the project. I was always blocked," he said.

Liem added that his failure on this issue contributed to his desire to step down.

"When you're young and you're new, you can demand stuff," he said. "The next guy will be able to get it."

Liem was among the group of masters who opposed the randomization of the House system.

Senior Tutor John O'Keefe says the Liems have worked hard to preserve the House's artistic character after randomization.

Handel's Messiah is sung every year at the House, and Dunster Opera was started under their tenure. For each opera production, the Liems give up part of their residence for rehearsal and backstage space, for three weeks.

Dunster residents are also fans of the Liems' monthly dinner parties. House Committee Chair Nancy M. Poon '01, said she enjoys the "really excellent Indonesian food."

Liem--a professor of ichthyology--has become infamous for one of his House party sayings: that he should be forgiven for not learning students' names, as for every new name he learns, he forgets one fish species.

The Replacements

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said he is grateful to the Liems for their help during the first years of his tenure.

"We will begin the search for new masters immediately, and will be reaching out to the House community for advice in the coming weeks.... We are starting a bit earlier than last year," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message.

The House master search process generally involves a committee including both students and Senior Common Room members. The College administration takes suggestions from the community, and a selection committee interviews candidates.

The master is officially announced around the start of spring break.

A Tragic Time

Liem said his biggest challenge as master was dealing with the aftermath of the 1995 murder-suicide.

In an interview yesterday, he said he looks back on the period as one that was "very, very hard."

The Liems' handling of the incident was criticized by Melanie R. Thernstrom '87, a former resident tutor whose parents are both Harvard professors, in her 1997 book, Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder.

Thernstrom wrote that Liem--who was the academic advisor to both students--was "much more adept at dealing with dead sea-life than with human problems."

She wrote that the University considered "the unprecedented move" of firing the Liems.

At the time, Liem called the book inaccurate.

"It was a terrible humanistic challenge. I think such tragedies can occur anywhere, but I am very sad it had to happen at Dunster," he said.