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About Frank

Owner emeritus of landmark Harvard Book Store

Frank Kramer was born in Cambridge in 1941. In 1962, he took over the leadership of the Harvard Book Store an independent bookstore founded by his father in 1932. Over the next 46 years, the bookstore became a Harvard Square landmark and one of the best-known independent bookstores in the United States. Mr. Kramer sold the bookstore in October 2008.

Since his retirement, Mr. Kramer has become a prominent activist in community affairs. In 2006, Mr. Kramer, in partnership with Simon Shapiro of TAG Hardware and several other local business owners, founded Cambridge Local First, an alliance of locally owned independent businesses. Cambridge Local First has become a prominent advocate of locally-owned businesses in Cambridge.

In 2020, the Cambridge Community Foundation named 20 exceptional artists and creators as Cambridge Cultural Visionaries, a diverse and talented group of individuals who have had a major impact on cultural richness in Cambridge and beyond. In October 2020, the Foundation joined forces with the City of Cambridge to establish the Cultural Capital Fund, to address urgent needs in the sector due to the pandemic. The Foundation also committed to building a long-term endowment for the arts and culture sector through the Cultural Capital Fund, drawing inspiration from its Cambridge Cultural Visionaries, who credit the city with fostering their creativity. MEET MORE VISIONARIES >>>