House Master Name Change Awaiting Administrative Approval

The College's House masters have recommended potential replacement titles and said they are waiting on final administrative approval, more than two months after they unanimously agreed on a change.

In December, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana announced that the House masters would change their title, which some have associated with slavery. In his email notifying undergraduates of the change, Khurana wrote a replacement title would be chosen by “early 2016.”

Adams House co-master John G. Sean Palfrey '67 celebrates Housing Day in the spring of 2014. Palfrey said the House masters have made recommendations for a replacement title, and the decision now rests in the hands of the University. By Jennifer Y Yao

College Spokesperson Rachael Dane indicated that Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael D. Smith will make the final decision on the name change. Smith could not be reached for comment.

Diana L. Eck, a co-master of Lowell House, said House masters have not yet heard about a final decision.

“Every day I open my email and wonder if this is the day we figure out who we are,” she said.

The list of recommendations were the result of discussion among House masters, Adams House co-master John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 said.

“The House masters have talked about it, and made some recommendations. It’s now in the hands of the University to decide, whether they decide on any of our suggestions or not,” he said.

While it is unclear what names may be on the list, Palfrey previously said he found potential titles such as “leader” boring, while others like “magister” or “rector” are archaic.

Top Harvard leaders including Smith, University President Drew G. Faust, and Khurana have all said they support the planned modification. Khurana, a House master himself, said he was uncomfortable with the title several days before he sent the College-wide email signed by all 24 House masters announcing the impending changes.

Discussions to change the House master title took off amid a period of heightened racial activism and protests on campuses nationwide.

Some students have criticized the name, saying the title bears associations with slavery. A group of Latino students submitted a list of demands to Faust in November aimed at improving the College experience for students of color, with the House master title change among them.

The impending House master name change is not unique to Harvard. Colleges across the country, including Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, are also planning to change their equivalent title.

MIT administrators are currently engaged in similar conversations. Last month, MIT house masters also unanimously voted to request to change their title of “Housemaster.” According to John M. Essigmann, one of MIT’s more than 25 housemasters, House administrators have settled on two alternatives: House Dean and Head of House.

MIT Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart must approve the proposal before administrators can change the title, according to Essigmann.

—Staff writer Jalin P. Cunningham can be reached at jalin.cunningham@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @JalinCunningham.