John W. Henry, principal owner of the Boston Globe and Fenway Sports Group—which includes the Boston Red Sox baseball team—is investing in the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., taking an ownership stake. Henry's financial support will be used to renovate the existing bookstore, to enhance the store's website and online retail, and for innovation projects, according to a press release. Harvard Book Store is owned by Jeff Mayersohn and Linda Seamonson, who will remain part of the ownership group.
“We are so proud of the amazing work done by our staff and grateful for the support of our customers and of our landlord, Harvard University, all of which have enabled our store to survive the challenges posed by the pandemic," said Mayersohn. "John Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry have done extraordinary work through their involvement in so many of Boston’s iconic cultural institutions. We’re very excited about the projects that will be made possible by this partnership, which will ensure Harvard Book Store’s future as an important literary institution for decades to come.”
Henry added: “Linda [Pizzuti] and I have long appreciated the role that Harvard Book Store plays in our region’s cultural life. We hope that our involvement will enable Harvard Book Store to build upon this legacy to better serve the readers and writers of Greater Boston and beyond. Our intention is that the store stay indie to its core, as part of the marvelous universe of bookstores that add so much to their communities.”
