Adams House Masters to Leave After 26 Years

The third senior pair of House masters to depart in two years, Jana M. and Robert J. Kiely have announced they will leave Adams House after 26 years in the masters' residence.

The Kielys, vocal opponents of randomization and defenders of House character, will resign in June, leaving the first fully randomized Adams House.

"It's not quite the millennium, but it is about time the Kielys moved on," they wrote in a letter to House affiliates dated Dec. 5 in which they formally announced their retirement.

The Kielys said they have been contemplating their decision for years and will be leaving Harvard as their youngest child, Maria C. Kiely '99, graduates from the College.

Master Kiely also said he had delayed the official announcement because he "wanted to welcome the sophomore class without it being a 'hello-goodbye' situation."

The Kielys emphasized the length of their tenure, noting they had "outlasted 10 senior tutors, hundreds of resident and non-resident tutors, thousands of undergraduate Adamsians, gallons of Earl Grey tea, mountains of brownies, and...three deans of Harvard College."

Students, tutors and administrators spoke with one voice in their praise of the Kielys' tenure.

"Bob and Jana Kiely have served Adams House and Harvard College with extraordinary distinction over many years," wrote Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis'68 in an e-mail message.

"Their commitment to the educational component of House life and the nature of the House community as a family of scholars, junior and senior, has been unwavering," he wrote.

Former Adams House senior tutor Mark H. Bessire praised Kiely's commitment to maintaining a distinct House character.

"He's one of the masters who put House life as high as academic life and he understands how important House life is--which is why Adams House is such a great place to live. [It's]not so standardized," he said.

Even after randomization began, the Kielys worked to preserve House traditions.

"The House has meant to us every- thing we honor in a university: creativity,high academic achievement, independence of spirit,celebration of difference and distaste forpomposity," the Kielys wrote.

Students said they believe the Kielys achievedtheir goal of preserving a distinct Houseidentity.

"Adams House as a whole is really going to missthe Kielys," said Jerald M. Korn '00. "I myself amgoing to miss them a lot, because, in spite ofrandomization, they really support a Houseidentity, not only in being friendly, but that theHouse should retain the kind of atmosphere it hadbefore randomization. An open one, one verysupportive of theater and things like that."

Master Kiely referred to the evolution of AdamsHouse during his tenure to explain his oppositionto randomization. Unlike other Houses, he said,Adams has always been "a mixed group."

The constant change of House character, MasterKiely said, was both "delightful and amusing.What's kept us here and been so educational andimportant is the ways in which various eras ofAdams House have defined themselves as acommunity."

Master Kiely said he takes special pride inAdamsians' past leadership in taking theater atHarvard "off-Loeb and off-Agassiz" and in beingthe first House with a gay and lesbian supportgroup before homosexuality could be openlydiscussed. At the time, Kiely said, some Masterscalled homosexuality "an Adams House problem."

Other students praised the Kielys'approachability.

"They brought a spirit, a type of energy to theHouse that will be sorely missed," said Taj J.Clayton '99. "They are the most popular Housemasters and they make a concerted effort to meetall students and to be visible and vocal onstudent issues and to be extremely accessible."

More recently the Kielys have supported acontroversial movement by Adams residents to limitinterhouse dining at Adams. In a letter thatappeared in The Crimson on Nov. 19, Robert Kielywrote, "I am in total agreement with the AdamsHouse students who feel that our dining hall isbeing used as a better, more beautiful LokerCommons [by non-Adams residents]."

The Kielys are not leaving Harvard altogether,however. Robert Kiely will continue to teach inthe English department and both Kielys willmaintain their connections to Harvard and AdamsHouse.

The Kielys join the Bosserts and the Dowlings,both long-time Masters who left Lowell andLeverett Houses last year.

Adams residents will now begin another"time-honored" Harvard tradition: selecting newHouse masters, said Senior Tutor David B. Fithian,who joined the House this year. Although thestructure of the Adams House search has yet to bedetermined, Fithian said, "in the past, the seniortutor has coordinated a committee of variousrepresentatives of the House who meet withcandidates."

For their part, Lewis and Thomas A. Dingman'67, associate dean of the College for the Housesystem, will solicit student input.

When asked if he felt his successor will havethe same views on randomization, Robert Kielyreplied, "I certainly hope so.

Students said they believe the Kielys achievedtheir goal of preserving a distinct Houseidentity.

"Adams House as a whole is really going to missthe Kielys," said Jerald M. Korn '00. "I myself amgoing to miss them a lot, because, in spite ofrandomization, they really support a Houseidentity, not only in being friendly, but that theHouse should retain the kind of atmosphere it hadbefore randomization. An open one, one verysupportive of theater and things like that."

Master Kiely referred to the evolution of AdamsHouse during his tenure to explain his oppositionto randomization. Unlike other Houses, he said,Adams has always been "a mixed group."

The constant change of House character, MasterKiely said, was both "delightful and amusing.What's kept us here and been so educational andimportant is the ways in which various eras ofAdams House have defined themselves as acommunity."

Master Kiely said he takes special pride inAdamsians' past leadership in taking theater atHarvard "off-Loeb and off-Agassiz" and in beingthe first House with a gay and lesbian supportgroup before homosexuality could be openlydiscussed. At the time, Kiely said, some Masterscalled homosexuality "an Adams House problem."

Other students praised the Kielys'approachability.

"They brought a spirit, a type of energy to theHouse that will be sorely missed," said Taj J.Clayton '99. "They are the most popular Housemasters and they make a concerted effort to meetall students and to be visible and vocal onstudent issues and to be extremely accessible."

More recently the Kielys have supported acontroversial movement by Adams residents to limitinterhouse dining at Adams. In a letter thatappeared in The Crimson on Nov. 19, Robert Kielywrote, "I am in total agreement with the AdamsHouse students who feel that our dining hall isbeing used as a better, more beautiful LokerCommons [by non-Adams residents]."

The Kielys are not leaving Harvard altogether,however. Robert Kiely will continue to teach inthe English department and both Kielys willmaintain their connections to Harvard and AdamsHouse.

The Kielys join the Bosserts and the Dowlings,both long-time Masters who left Lowell andLeverett Houses last year.

Adams residents will now begin another"time-honored" Harvard tradition: selecting newHouse masters, said Senior Tutor David B. Fithian,who joined the House this year. Although thestructure of the Adams House search has yet to bedetermined, Fithian said, "in the past, the seniortutor has coordinated a committee of variousrepresentatives of the House who meet withcandidates."

For their part, Lewis and Thomas A. Dingman'67, associate dean of the College for the Housesystem, will solicit student input.

When asked if he felt his successor will havethe same views on randomization, Robert Kielyreplied, "I certainly hope so.