Help save the Harvard Pub!

Here’s how to help:

  1. Email decision-makers

    • Use the pre-populated template linked above, or leverage these prepared notes to help draft a message urging Harvard administrators to give students a voice in decisions impacting student life

  2. Sign the student petition

    • Join the over 2,500 students and alumni who have expressed their support to the keep the Queen's Head pub open

  3. Share a quote or any other ideas you have

Thank you for helping to safeguard a legacy of unity, inclusivity, and fun at Harvard.

Student Voices

Tanner Humphry ‘23-25

“There is a difference between those spaces that are welcome to all and those that make all feel welcome. The loss of the Queen’s Head will be felt by all during a time when the student experience on campus has never been so divisive.”

Nicolette Reale ‘26

“The Queen’s Head is one of the warmest most kind places on campus. Do you know how nice it is to have a space that isn’t labeled for some specific group, where I can still take pride in my identity? It is truly special. Do you know how normal I can feel there?”

Alice Ferguson ‘25

“There is a love story written in the language of service and working for a community you know matters. Customer service provides a meaningful way to merge community, classroom theory, and real life socialization. The pub has been the highlight of my Harvard career.”

“The Queen’s Head wasn’t just a pub. It was a haven, where socializing ‘after-hours’ meant safety among friends, affordable food and drinks, student performances, and cherished memories. Its closure wouldn’t just be a loss of space but would deny others a vital part of the College experience.”

Jack Towers ‘25

“I can’t think of any other space on campus that effectively breaks down fundamental barriers between first-years and upperclassmen, students from different backgrounds, houses, concentrations, identities. Losing the pub would be a serious loss for the undergraduate experience.”

Sam Weil ‘25

Mariana Juarez '24

Alexandria Westray '26

“Given Harvard’s notorious difficulty creating healthy social environments, regarding both exclusive finals clubs and toxic academic / pre-professional extracurriculars, I can’t believe the Dean is shutting down the one place that delivers on the promise of a college social space.”

“That the Dean of Students Office decision makers did not speak to a single student in making this decision about the undergraduate experience is so disappointing. Please work with us to enhance the undergraduate experience!”

Demir Alp ‘27

“I am a freshman who found his home in the Queen’s Head pub this year. There, I found people from different walks of life, different contexts, and different countries. It broke me free from my internal feedback loop. Don’t we need more of that, not less?.”

Keturah Weeks '26

“You will find students from all over the world, from different fields, socializing and sharing ideas. Queen’s Head has been the highlight of my undergrad because I have developed confidence in myself, and I have met people who have helped advance my future career.”

What Alumni Are Saying

Kevin Jennings ‘85, former asst deputy secretary @ US Dept of Ed

“At a time when our nation and campus seemed hopelessly divided, the Cambridge Queen’s Head was a space where everyone could come together.”

Nicole Bowman ‘13, resort gm @ Bluegreen Vacations

"The Queen's Head was crucial to my career; it taught me essential business and networking skills. I discovered my passion there, working in a role I loved within a supportive community.”

Caleb Merkl ‘06 MBA ‘11 chief people officer @ Deliveroo

“It is hard to look around at the world today and come to the conclusion that banning fun is the next right step."

Daniel Rodriguez ‘05, wine industry ceo

“The Queen’s Head pub emerged after a need on campus was identified: students wanted to socialize on campus without having to be at an exclusive social club. I hope the university continues to support social spaces accessible to all students.”

Daniel Kenary ‘82, co-founder & ceo @ Harpoon Brewery

"Harpoon Brewery and I have always cherished supporting the Queen’s Head. I hope the pub can live on for future generations of students to enjoy."

Abe Othman ‘07, head of research @ AngelList

"I was fortunate to graduate in 2007, the first year the pub was in operation. Upper Hall provided a fun, inclusive social space for my class to bond during our senior year. Harvard College desperately needs more spaces like that, not fewer."

Sarah Reilly ‘14, clinical social worker @ Mass General

“The pub was my home during undergrad and a place I returned to after graduation. It uniquely reflected and responded to student needs, unlike other campus fixtures. It was where I could follow my passions while giving back to a community that gave so much to me.”

Taylor Nickel ‘12, security advisor @ IMF

“The Queen's Head pub was more than just a job for me; it was a gateway to an unexpected Harvard experience. After an injury sidelined my athletic career, the pub provided camaraderie and friendships that supported me then and continue to enrich my life today.”

Teddy Tiab ‘13, director @ Salesforce

“The Queen's Head was more than just a gathering place; it was where I felt a deep sense of belonging and received crucial support during college. It was transformative, enabling me to thrive. We owe it to future generations to preserve this vital part of our community.”

Katie Ana Baca ‘11 MA/PhD '19, writing faculty @ Harvard University

“In the fall of 2007, I was one of two College students hired to manage the pub. Years later, I chose the pub as the site for my wedding rehearsal dinner. My co-manager’s family chose the pub as the site for his memorial after his passing. There’s no greater testament to the meaning of the pub than our selection of it for these momentous events.”

Lindsey Gary ‘06, filmmaker

“The Queen’s Head pub is a social space for all Harvard students, regardless of house, club, year, or affiliation. Created entirely by students—from the menu to the decor—it is a space we built for ourselves. Students must drive the conversation about the pub’s future.”

Francis Ellis '11, comedian

“The Queen’s Head made me feel like a British student. Having a pub inside a campus building feels British. And if I learned anything from Saltburn, it’s that British collegiate culture is worth striving for.”

Scott Alpizar ‘09, attorney

“Upper Hall at the pub brought my class together in a way that we hadn’t experienced before at Harvard. It was the greatest idea for bonding and forming community, allowing my classmates and me to make lifelong friends with students we never would have met otherwise. Harvard needs more stories like this, not less.”

Matt Glazer '06, attorney

“The Queen's Head gave students a safe place to forge new relationships, build bridges through dialogue, and share fun experiences away from the influence of private clubs. In a complicated world, fostering this community is vital for the undergraduate experience and foundational for the years beyond as an alumnus. It would be a big step backward for Harvard to shut it down.”

Marco Chan '11, HKS '17

“I have warm memories from the Queen's Head as an undergraduate student, graduate student, and alumnus. Whether an annual event like a drag night or a casual meetup, it's a natural spot to see diverse folks from across campus, new and old friends alike.”

Adeline Byrne '14, customer success @ Stripe

“The Cambridge Queen’s Head was foundational to my Harvard experience. It’s where I developed a close circle of friends who continue to support and uplift me to this day. I can’t imagine how hollow my Harvard experience would have been without the Queen’s Head pub.”

Andy Pforzheimer '84 + Tucker Pforzheimer ‘14

"The Queen’s Head is one of the few places at Harvard where students can gain people skills and management experience in a practical setting. Crucially, it’s a safe, inclusive social space that brings together diverse groups and helps build community at Harvard."

The Pub-lic Record

Pub Closure

Pub Operations

2008-2024

Pub Creation

2004-2007

Pre-Pub Loker Commons

1995-2004

The Harvard Union

1902-1996

Historical Context

TL;DR

  • The rise of the Massachusetts drinking age first to 20 in 1979 and then to 21 in 1984, along with the closure of the Harvard Union in 1994 and the introduction of house randomization in 1995, significantly disrupted undergraduate life and the campus community.

  • While Katherine Loker's generous gift aimed to mitigate these issues, the original iteration of Loker Commons fell short of expectations.

  • As a result, the Cambridge Queen’s Head was established, brought to life through the collective efforts of committed undergraduates, forward-thinking administrators, and additional generous alumni support.

  • Since its opening nearly two decades ago, the Queen’s Head pub has greatly enriched the undergraduate experience by offering a vibrant, safe, and inclusive social space.

The Saga of the Cambridge Queen’s Head

The narrative of the Queen’s Head begins with the Harvard Union, established in 1900 to provide a social space for students excluded from the university’s more exclusive final clubs. By 1902, the New York Times hailed it as “a magnificent new clubhouse [that] promotes new ties of loyalty and enthusiasm cementing the undergraduate body of the university.”

With the establishment of the House system in the 1930s, the Union was repurposed as a freshman activity and dining center, serving as the freshmen dining hall for the next 50-plus years.

In 1994, Annenberg Hall in Memorial Hall was inaugurated to serve freshman diners. While it offered a stunning space for meals, it did not replicate the social function of the Freshman Union. Shortly after Annenberg's opening, the college implemented House randomization, which significantly affected the sense of community within the Houses—a repercussion still felt today.

In 1996, and over alumni objections, a $26m renovation established the Barker Center for the Humanities within a newly renovated Harvard Union building. In perhaps the least fair trade in Harvard’s history, in exchange undergraduates received a fluorescent-lit, basement space in the newly created Loker Commons beneath Annenberg. Katherine Loker, whose substantial donation facilitated these changes, felt her vision had not been fully realized and urged the college to revitalize the space. This advocacy led to the establishment of Harvard Pub Nights and a new energy in the basement of Memorial Hall.

Building on this momentum, President Larry Summers, alongside FAS Dean William Kirby and College Dean Benedict Gross, responded to student enthusiasm for a permanent pub. This collaboration culminated in the creation of the Cambridge Queen’s Head. Although Katherine Loker could not attend the pub’s opening, she sent her regards, and attendees toasted in her honor with Bailey’s, her favorite drink.