Secret Societies of Yale University

SKULL & BONES.  Cheryl and I decided to venture down to New Haven, CT and photograph the meeting places of the most well known secret societies of Yale’s University.  They are, in order of prominence, Skull and Bones, Scroll and Keys, Wolf’s Head.

Skull and Bones was founded in 1832.  Members of some of Yales better known debating societies were in a dispute and decided to begin their own society.Shown to the left is the meeting place, (typically Tuesday and Thursday evenings), of Bonesmen at the Tomb since being built in 1856.  A second wing was added in 1903 and a “gothic” tower was added in 1911 at the rear of the building overlooking the garden.The fraternity, for lack of a better word, was created initially to be a boys club for the potential power elites of the senior class.  That criteria has probably changed very little over the past 156+ years with the exception of the admission of women.  In 1992 by a a majority vote of alumni Bonesmen women were allowed membership. You could not apply for membership.  The only way in was to be “tapped”, while in your junior year, for admission into the society during your senior year.  Every year about (200) hopefuls would assemble, usually on the Branford College lawn, knowing that only (15) would be chosen.  If you were one of the fortunate fifteen you would be tapped on your shoulder and asked if you accepted to which you’d reply yes or no.  If yes you’d run off to a chosen room followed by a Bonesman usually dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie.Who would typically be chosen?.  From my research it appears that legacy students (those whose parents were Bonesmen) had a good shot.  Those with exceptional grade scores, intelligence and academic success were considered. In addition those students who may have come from great family wealth and success were on the list.  However, unusual, stand out athletes were not overlooked.  The main criteria was that these were students who would enter the working world with a potential that far out shined the average man or woman.  You may think that is a lofty expectation but if you look at the who’s who of Bonesman the list certainly lived up to the hype.The following is a short list of notables who were in the society:

• Henry Luce (1920).  Founder and publisher of Time magazine.
• President William Howard Taft (1878). Our 27th President.
• President George Herbert Walker Bush (1948). Our 41st President, WWII fighter pilot and past Director of the CIA.
• Senator John Kerry (1966).  Massachusetts Senior Senator and Presidential candidate in 2004 but lost to George W. Bush. Kerry also is the husband of Teresa Heinz who was married to H. John Heinz, III until his untimely death in 1991.
• George “W” Bush (1968).  43rd President of the United States and 46th Governor of Texas.

SCROLL and KEYS:Shown to the left and right is the meeting place for the Scroll and Keys secret society. This society was founded in 1843 over disputes involving elections to the Skull and Bones. This fraternity seems to mirror that of Skull and Bones with respect to: 1) same meeting times on Tuesday and Sunday, also tap (15) new members each year, 3) similar selection criteria.Scroll and Key had difficulty in the early years evening meeting their (15) new member requirements.  That has changed as the years advanced and Scroll and Bones has taken it’s place amongst the Big 3 secret societies of Yale.  Not only is the fraternity the 2nd oldest but it arguable the wealthiest of all the societies.

Scroll and Key Tomb, 444 College St., New Haven, CT

In 1989 Scroll and Key went co-ed.  This was met with resistance by many alumni but then current Yale President and Scroll and Key alumni Bartlett Giamatti refused to ever visit the society again unless women were admitted.  Since that time both men and women fill the ranks of Scroll and Key. The following is a short list of notables that were in the society:

• Sargent Shriver (1972). Vice Presidential Candidate
• Cornelius Vanderbilt, III (1895).  Vanderbilt heir.
• Stone Phillips (1977). Yale football captain, 20/20, dateline NBC.
• Benjamin Spock (1925). Baby and child care activist and author.
• Cole Porter (1913). Song writer.
• Gary Trudeau (1970). Doonesbury Cartoonist.

WOLFS HEAD In 1884 fifteen members of the junior class who were possible candidates for the Skulls or the Keys decided to start The Third Society.  This later became known as Wolfs Head.  It’s is believed to have originated in an effort to remove dominance and power from the Skull and Bones. The images to the left are where members have met for years.  The building is hidden by a six foot high stone wall on all four sides and does not draw your attention from the street.  I took the first photograph by squeezing my camera lens into a small opening in the front iron gates (not visible in picture).  It allowed for a closer look at the building itself.

 

The Wolfs keep some lofty company with the Yale daily news to their immediate left and the Yale school of drama to their right. It appears to me that all three secret societies are very similar in the way that they conduct themselves.  They all seem to share similar goals and objectives and seek similarities in their membership. For a list of those students that were tapped in 2012 for 2013 member please to to this link:http://yaleherald.com/bullblog/secret-society-2013-who-they-are-and-how-they-got-in/

In my research I came upon a Skull and Bones society at Penn State Univeristy.  This apparantly is not affilitated with the original Yale Skull and Bones nor is it an offshoot.  The Skull and Bones secret society is not active in any colleges or universities other than Yale.

 

BOOK and SNAKE:This is the fourth oldest secret society at Yale.  It was founded in 1863 at the

Yale Sheffield Scientific School.  This was originally a three year society however in 1933 they transitioned to a “senior society” 0r “final” (meaning last year).  Many of the senior societies “tapped” 15 students each year for membership however Book and Snake would tap (8) men and (8) women. They would meet once or twice weekly at the tomb shown to the left.

 

 

BERZELIUS:  Founded in 1948 this is the oldest of the secret societies at Yale. Like Book and Snake the society was originally founded as part of the now defunct Sheffield School of Science

and Engineering.  This “college” fully integrated with Yale University in 1956.  Steeped in many of the same traditions as the above societies Berzelius members hold dear the famous exhortation of Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Shown to the right is the meeting place of Berzelius members.

I would highly recommend taking a guided tour of YALES Secret Societies offered by the New Haven Preservation Trust.  Tours are generally given in late September however that is subject to change.  For information and dates please read the following excerpt from their website:

“Join us for this fun and informative tour of Yale’s Senior Society Buildings, those mysterious structures that characterize Yale’s campus and downtown New Haven. Participants will learn about how and why the senior societies were formed; their buildings’ architectural significance and lineage; and their famous member alumni. We will conclude our evening with a dinner at “the tables down at Mory’s” and a serenade from Yale’s Whiffenpoofs.

The tour will meet outside Mory’s (306 York Street) to check-in and obtain ID for the walking tour. Please note that the tour will take just over an hour and may not be suitable for those with limited mobility.

Reservations required. Space is limited. Tickets are $75 per person (includes dinner at Mory’s; cash bar).

For more information please contact NHPT at info@nhpt.org“.