Comparison · 11 material differences
Harvard Club of Boston vs Petroleum Club of Houston
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026 Private club
Mmuench55 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Harvard Club of Boston
The club states its mission is to be "the social, intellectual, and athletic hub for Harvard alumni and our affiliated community in the Greater Boston area", and its published…
Private club
Petroleum Club of Houston
The club says it is "open to men and woman of all industries" and describes a membership that includes energy industry professionals, medical, legal and business professionals…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: Harvard Club of Boston: No published maximum age at joining; Petroleum Club of Houston: Junior membership is available to applicants under 40 years of age.
- Minimum age: Harvard Club of Boston: No published minimum age; Petroleum Club of Houston: All published membership categories start at age 21.
- Accredited-investor status: Harvard Club of Boston: No published accredited-investor status; Petroleum Club of Houston: Applicants authorise a consumer background report from Associated Services Employment Check and supply a Social Security number, date of birth and seven years of address history.
- Geographic restriction: Harvard Club of Boston: Fees are set by the ZIP codes where an applicant lives and works: Resident 1 within 15 miles, Resident 2 within 16 to 50 miles, Nonresident 51 or more miles within the United States, and International outside the United States; Petroleum Club of Houston: No published geographic restriction.
- Monthly dues: Harvard Club of Boston: $60–426 a month; Petroleum Club of Houston: $191–322 a month.
Side by side
| Harvard Club of Boston | Petroleum Club of Houston | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1908 (The club's timeline records that 22 alumni men started the Harvard Club of Boston in 1908 with annual dues set at $5.) | 1946 (The club's history page dates the founders' efforts to 31 January 1946, crediting Wilbur Ginther, Howard C. Warren and Harris Underwood; the clubhouse itself opened on 15 December 1951 atop the Rice Hotel.) |
| Headquarters | Boston, United States | Houston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Back Bay clubhouse at 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; the club's current site lists no other location | Single clubhouse on the 35th floor of Total Plaza, 1201 Louisiana Street, downtown Houston |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 5,000 members across 40 countries; that has not been independently verified and carries no date. | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 1,200 members as of November 2014; that figure is more than a decade old and has not been independently verified. |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters. Members have reciprocal access to more than 170 private clubs worldwide. | Single clubhouse; no chapters |
| Primary audience | The club states its mission is to be "the social, intellectual, and athletic hub for Harvard alumni and our affiliated community in the Greater Boston area", and its published eligibility extends to alumni of Harvard, MIT, Yale and the Fletcher School at Tufts, faculty and students of Harvard and MIT, medical residents and fellows at Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the direct relatives of member | The club says it is "open to men and woman of all industries" and describes a membership that includes energy industry professionals, medical, legal and business professionals, professional women and young professionals. |
| Typical member | Alumni, students, faculty, parents and affiliates of Harvard and MIT, plus Yale and Tufts Fletcher School alumni, together with a limited number of Commonwealth members admitted as friends and family of existing members. Fees are banded by age and by distance from the clubhouse. | Members range from energy industry professionals -- the club's founding constituency -- to lawyers, doctors and other business professionals. Membership categories are age-banded, with Junior members under 40, Active members 40 to 64 and Senior members 65 and over. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | No published maximum age at joining | Junior membership is available to applicants under 40 years of ageOn reaching 40 a Junior member is entitled as of right to Active membership on paying the balance of the then-current Active initiation or transfer fee; all Junior members are enrolled in the Young Professionals' Associationverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum age | No published minimum age | All published membership categories start at age 21Junior membership covers ages 21-39; Non-Resident, Clergy, Diplomat, MBA/Graduate and Legacy categories are open from 21verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Accredited-investor status | No published accredited-investor status | Applicants authorise a consumer background report from Associated Services Employment Check and supply a Social Security number, date of birth and seven years of address historyThe authorisation remains on file for the duration of the membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Fees are set by the ZIP codes where an applicant lives and works: Resident 1 within 15 miles, Resident 2 within 16 to 50 miles, Nonresident 51 or more miles within the United States, and International outside the United StatesFees are also banded by ageverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| Application process | Applicants review the eligibility categories and the published dues schedule, then select their affiliation and complete an online application form. The club verifies the applicant's university affiliation directly with the institution and a member of the team follows up to finalise details. The club's Become a Member page asks applicants to allow two to three weeks for review, while its membership FAQ says a membership is activated within 10 to 15 business days; new members then receive membership numbers and an electronic welcome package. Commonwealth applicants complete a separate application and need a member sponsor. | Applicants download the club's application PDF and submit it with a background form and a payment form (ACH or credit card). The application goes to the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors, which meet twice a month; the initiation fee is processed only once both approve. The club states the approval process can take less than four weeks. An online membership inquiry form is also available. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed as an acceptance rate. Eligibility is defined by university affiliation; the only published numerical limit is the 50 Commonwealth places reserved each year. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate or waiting-list information, and describes an approval process that can complete in under four weeks. |
| Cost | ||
| Monthly dues | $60–426 a monthPublished monthly cost of membership effective 1 September 2026. Resident 1: $135 (25 and under), $154 (26-30), $250 (31-35), $372 (36-40), $426 (41-74), $295 (75+), $385 (HCB plus HCNYC 41-74). Resident 2: $127 / $143 / $206 / $287 / $327 / $262 / $298. Nonresident: $113 / $127 / $159 / $190 / $218, $182 for HCB plus HCNYC. International: $60 / $79 / $94 / $114 / $133. Undergraduate students $85, graduate students $95, Harvard College faculty $125. The facilities renewal assessment is built into these figuresverified September 2026 · source ↗ | $191–322 a monthPublished schedule: $322 for Active and Premier/Secondary Active company members; $191 for Junior, Senior, Non-Resident, Clergy and Diplomat. Legacy $191-$322. The schedule labels the column simply Dues; the application text refers to monthly membership dues. Subject to 8.25% taxverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | $305–4,327 one-timePublished schedule effective 1 September 2026, banded by residence and age. Resident 1 (within 15 miles): $964 for 25 and under, $1,183 for 26-30, $2,280 for 31-35, $3,684 for 36-40, $4,327 for 41-74, $2,763 for 75+, $3,843 for a combined HCB and Harvard Club of New York membership aged 41-74. Resident 2 (16-50 miles): $862 / $1,053 / $1,754 / $2,661 / $3,143 / $2,369 / $2,801 on the same bands. Nonresident (51+ miles, USA): $761 / $920 / $1,242 / $1,622 / $1,958, with $1,520 for HCB plus HCNYC aged 41 and over. International: $305 / $532 / $773 / $1,012 / $1,239. Students $660; Harvard College faculty $960verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $500–7,500 one-timePublished schedule (application dated 12 July 2024): Active 40-64 $5,000; Junior 21-39 $2,000; Senior 65-89 $2,000; Non-Resident $1,500; Clergy $500; Diplomat $500; MBA/Graduate none; Legacy none (assessment fee instead). Company accounts: Premier Active $7,500, Secondary Active $4,000, Secondary Junior/Senior $1,500. All initiation fees are subject to 8.25% taxverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Ongoing; dues may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually | Ongoing with monthly dues; the MBA/Law/Medical/Graduate category waives dues for twelve months from approval and then rolls automatically into a dues-paying account unless the member gives 30 days' notice |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 250 member events a year, virtual and in person, from wine dinners to faculty discussions and holiday events | Continuous clubhouse operation with member social events, networking events and family events through the year; the Petroleum Club Dance Club holds three ballroom dances a year |
| Peer forums | Member-led Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), plus a Golf Society giving access to regional country clubs and a squash programme with leagues and clinics | Committees (Food and Entertainment, Wine, Membership and others) plus three associations: the Young Professionals' Association, the Ladies' Association and the Petroleum Club Dance Club |
| Confidentiality | The club describes itself as an electronic-device-friendly clubhouse and asks only that members not take phone calls in the restaurant; sound-proof phone booths are provided in the Member Commons. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Partial | No |
| Member directory | Yes | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | No | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Yes |
| Family programming | Yes | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | Yes | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Harvard Club of Boston · Petroleum Club of Houston