The electron-transfer-catalyzed rearrangement of the housanes 5 affords regioselectively only the two cyclopentenes 6 (CH(3) migration) and 7 (R migration) by 1,2-migration of the two groups at the methano bridge to the methyl terminus. The 1,2-shift of the CH(3) group prevails, and the rearrangement ratio is essentially insensitive to the migratory aptitude of the R substituent. This stereochemical memory effect derives from the conformational impositions on the stereoelectronic requirements during the 1,2-migration in the 1,3-radical-cation intermediates. Similar regioselectivities and diastereoselectivities are observed for the TFA-catalyzed and silver(I)-ion-promoted rearrangements, whereas the rearrangement catalyzed by HClO(4) affords a complete reversal in the product selectivity and both the regioselectivity and the diastereoselectivity are much reduced. Migration to the phenyl terminus is favored to afford the 6' and 7' cyclopentenes, of which the former (CH(3) migration) dominates. For the minor regioisomer, only the cyclopentene 6 is formed by an exclusive 1,2-shift of the CH(3) group. This dichotomy in product selectivities is rationalized in terms of two distinct mechanisms for the various activation modes: a common one for the electron-transfer-induced, TFA-catalyzed, and silver(I)-ion-promoted rearrangements and a different one for HClO(4).