South House Co-Masters Will Resign To Pursue Their Respective Careers

South House Co-Masters Rulan C. Pian and Theodore H. Pian will resign their positions at the end of the current academic year, a letter mailed to South House residents last Friday stated.

In the letter, the Pians said they decided to end their three-year stay at South House because they want to spend more time at their respective careers.

Rulan C. Pian, professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Music, said yesterday she has devoted 30 years to her field and "this is a critical moment to be deeply committed to that area."

"Before we took up the job we looked forward to the opportunity to have contact with students, but the job is more than that--it involves many more duties." Theodore H. Pian, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at M.I.T., said yesterday.

Rulan Pian said she believes she has brought a cultural atmosphere to South House through an emphasis on music and theater, perhaps best exemplified by the annual Quad Art Festival.

The Pians added they hope their successors will be "more outspoken than they have been on issues concerning South House."

Paul R. Shapiro '74, South House tutor of Astronomy and Physics, said yesterday, "The Pians have been swimming upstream on the South House improvement issue--they have spent a great deal of time negotiating for improvements and it's been difficult and time-consuming for them."

"We have appreciated the open-door policy of the Pians," James M. Redwine '78, chairman of the South House Committee, said yesterday.

A Committee consisting of Presidents Bok and Horner, Dean Rosovsky and Dean Fox will choose the new masters by December, Fox said yesterday, adding that he will ask the South House Committee and House tutors for recommendations.