# Giving head \[preserving my skull after death\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503 "2021-03-09T05:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ALOHA\_HATER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ALOHA\_HATER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ALOHA_HATER)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/1 "2021-03-09T05:14:59Z")
Say I wanted my loved ones to have my skull after my death. So that I could play Yorick or for whatever reason. Could I legally have my head removed, defleshed, and polished up nice to keep on the mantle? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/2 "2021-03-09T05:32:27Z")
These would be the people to ask, although their website says they only accept human specimens from accredited medical schools. However, they might know who would perform this service. > **[Skulls Unlimited: World Leader in Real and Replica Skulls & Skeletons](https://www.skullsunlimited.com/)** > > Skulls Unlimited is the world's leading supplier of the most diverse selection of legally-obtained animal skulls and replicas. Real animal and human skulls for sale to buy online to professional education facilities and bone collector hobbyists. We... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/3 "2021-03-09T05:49:04Z")
Comedian Del Close, who was well-known in improv circles, and a key figure at Second City, willed his skull to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago – and, in fact, he specified that it was to be used as Yorick’s skull in _Hamlet_. However, years after his death, his executor, Charna Halpern, admitted that the skull which the Goodman now has isn’t Close’s – she was pressured by the morgue to not let Close’s skull be used in this way, and wound up buying a skull from an anatomical supply company. So, it may not be as easy to do this as you might hope. > **[Not even close: Skull not that of improv legend](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-10-05-0610050127-story.html)** ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/4 "2021-03-09T05:58:00Z")
Title edited to better indicate subject. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/5 "2021-03-09T06:13:18Z")
I had not heard this horrible revelation from Charms… I knew Del and I’ve been to the Goodman prop shop and seen the skull in question. It was a very moving experience for me. If it truly is not his skull, I’m very disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/6 "2021-03-09T06:19:02Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > If it truly is not his skull, I’m very disappointed. The Tribune link I posted above doesn’t seem to be working properly, but here’s an article from _The New Yorker_ about the skull – there’s a freewall, but if you don’t want to give them your email address to read the article, here are the key lines. > [@](#): > > In July, however, the Chicago _Tribune_ published an article suggesting that the skull at the Goodman belonged to someone else. The article pointed out that the screws holding the skull together are rusty with age; that the skull has a hole at the top indicating prior service as part of a teaching skeleton, and an incision where the brain was removed for autopsy (which Close’s wasn’t); and that it has eleven teeth (Close wore dentures). Nonetheless, Halpern insisted to the paper that the skull was Close’s. > > She now pleads guilty—with an explanation. “After Del died, I asked the hospital people if they would help me by taking off the head, and they just laughed,” she said recently. “They suggested I call the Illinois Society of Pathologists. I told the pathologists, ‘I will give you Del’s body, and it’s a great body, because you can study the effects of smoking, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin on the brain. All I need is the skull.’ They thought about it, and then said, ‘There’s a fine line between research and art, and we’re concerned about our funding.’ I called labs, researchers, anatomy shops, and it was ‘No, no, no.’ ” > > After two days, the hospital insisted that Halpern remove Close’s body from the morgue, and she reluctantly had it cremated, head and all. A few days later, she went in search of a stand-in skull. Accompanied by her older sister, Bonnie Malow (the two always shop together), she drove to the Anatomical Chart Company, in Skokie, where they strolled among the skull-stocked shelves. “We were trying to match Del’s big brain cavity and nice, high cheekbones,” Halpern said. “We finally found one that you could buy as Del, if it were covered with skin.” Malow confirmed: “It was a manly, manly skull.” > **[Skulduggery](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/09/skulduggery)** > > Talk story about actor Del Close's wish to leave his skull to the Goodman Theatre. Before improv-comedy guru Del Close died of emphysema in 1999, he … ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/7 "2021-03-09T06:33:40Z")
Yes, I’ve been surfing around since I read your post and have found several cites confirming the story. Well, that’s a 20 yr belief down the drain…what’s next? The only solace is that Del would’ve found this whole charade hilarious!! ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/8 "2021-03-09T06:35:06Z")
Here’s a comprehensive answer from a mortician. Apparently this is very common question! > **[You Can’t Keep Your Parents’ Skulls](https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/why-you-cant-display-your-relatives-skull/597307/)** > > Under U.S. law, it’s nearly impossible to get permission to decapitate and de-flesh a relative’s remains. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/9 "2021-03-09T14:32:15Z")
[In 1982, while I was a student at the University of Pittsburgh, the rugby team caused an uproar.](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/06/11/Report-rugby-players-used-human-heads-on-field/2189392616000/) > PITTSBURGH – Rugby club members attempting to rattle opponents before a game apparently rolled and kicked human heads on the field during a warmup, a published report said Friday. > Pitt, which investigated the theft of the items before announcing the withdrawal of the students, said the ‘anatomical material’ came from one of the medical schools served by a central anatomy lab at the Pitt School of Medicine. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/10 "2021-03-09T16:58:32Z")
[Body Worlds](https://bodyworlds.com/exhibitions/human/) is an educational exhibition that shows preserved human remains, and has been operating and touring for years. I saw them when they came to Canada several years ago. It seems to have been created by a pair of doctors, and the stated goal is mainly educational, so still tied to medicine and research. However there is definitely an art and commercial side to this operation, so there must be a system which permits the collection/preservation/display of human body parts. Whether or not a private citizen has access to that system is the question… I suspect not. Then again, I’ve been to some local farms where the grand parents are buried on the property. One would wonder what’s to stop a bone-collecting hobbyist relative from coming out, digging them up, and just doing it? The main hurdle for most people seems to be physical access to the deceased, and I’d presume authorities would only get involved on a complaint-basis. So who would know if I had a collection of skulls in my basement? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/11 "2021-03-09T17:10:17Z")
Just a wag. Is there any possibility that you could make an arrangement with a med school that they use the body for a year for their anatomy course and, in return, prepare the skull for you? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/12 "2021-03-09T18:21:43Z")
Would your family really know if they got a skull that wasn’t yours? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/13 "2021-03-09T18:30:56Z")
I looked into some body farms. IIRC, the one at SIU, after all the soft bits are gone they articulate your skeleton. So your friends and family could come visit you, even if they couldn’t keep your skull on the mantel. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/14 "2021-03-09T18:33:27Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Just a wag. Is there any possibility that you could make an arrangement with a med school that they use the body for a year for their anatomy course and, in return, prepare the skull for you? That was, more or less, one of the ideas that Charna Halpern unsuccessfully pursued to obtain Del Close’s skull (see post #6), though it’s possible that she might have found a different school or organization which would have agreed to participate if she’d had more time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/15 "2021-03-10T00:58:36Z")
[Previous iteration of this topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-skull-my-property/74816), for reference ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/16 "2021-03-10T15:59:06Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I told the pathologists, ‘I will give you Del’s body, and it’s a great body, because you can study the effects of smoking, alcohol, cocaine, and heroin on the brain. If they were forensic pathologists, it would’ve been a far greater novelty for them to examine a body _lacking_ effects of smoking, alcohol, cocaine and heroin. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/17 "2021-03-11T18:23:11Z")
A couple of years ago I had a scan of my head to investigate a sinus issue. I received a nifty copy of the scan which showed my “defleshed” skull. I would imagine it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to have such scan data turned into instructions for a 3-d printer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/18 "2021-03-11T22:58:27Z")
Not quite a skull, but … A friend had to have brain surgery a few years ago. This was going to involve a fairly big hole cut in the skull. She really wanted a picture of her own exposed brain matter. The surgeon was totally against it and refused to take any such pix or release any they’d make during the normal course of the procedure. Jerk. The procedure was a great success and solved a serious problem she’d suffered from for years. She’s still pissed about not getting the pix. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/19 "2021-03-11T23:18:23Z")
Most of the answers to the question have rightly highlighted the practical problems but I’m not sure they speak to the legality of it. Let’s say I gift my head to my son in my will and my son happens to be a skilled surgeon with all the equipment needed to remove my head and keep it. Can anyone demand he hands it over after he removes it? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503/20 "2021-03-12T00:33:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > She really wanted a picture of her own exposed brain matter. The surgeon was totally against it and refused to take any such pix or release any they’d make during the normal course of the procedure. I’m guessing it was a legal liability issue. Any picture might contain some evidence of minor malpractice that could expose the surgeon to litigation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-head-preserving-my-skull-after-death/937503.md?page=2)