# Yale Skull and Bones Society, What's the Skinny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319 "2007-02-23T02:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/1 "2007-02-23T02:43:11Z")
I’ve read some internet links on Yale’s Skull and Bones fraternity, which many high-ranking individuals in our society have membership in. I’m not going to post those links: goes all over the place with “harmless college fraternity” to “secret Illuminati group”. I’d really like to understand it better, without some glurge I see on the web. I trust the fine minds here at the SD to have good information . Especially those who have deeper knowledge, attending Yale, and what’s thought of it. Thanks in advance, and what say y’all? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/2 "2007-02-23T02:46:35Z")
[Here’s some info.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051111.html) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/3 "2007-02-23T02:59:40Z")
I remember there were two clubhouses on the Yale campus that stood out - one a dark brown stone, and the other a white stone. Neither had any major windows, and you had to hunt around to find the doorway. There was supposedly a third one, but I never noticed the clubhouse for it. Probably a secret location. 🙂 One of my classmates was a member of one of the secret societies - wouldn’t tell me which one. 😉 He said that the inside of their clubhouse was well-stocked with beer, but also with coffee, food, and all sorts of munchies to help get through studying, plus it was normally nice and quiet. He went there to study during the week. The members were only chosen from the undergrads of Yale College (the B.A./B.Sc. stream), not from any of the professional colleges or graduate colleges. My classmate told me that they normally “tapped” about a dozen members from each year’s class, and tried to select people that they thought showed leadership potential. I asked if there was much diversity in the membership and he said not really - mainly white, middle-to-upper class. Since my classmate was a gay, African-American Marxist, I asked him how he got in. He grinned and said “Affirmative action!” ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/4 "2007-02-23T05:26:06Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] I’ve read some internet links on Yale’s Skull and Bones fraternity, which many high-ranking individuals in our society have membership in. I’m not going to post those links: goes all over the place with “harmless college fraternity” to “secret Illuminati group”. I’d really like to understand it better, without some glurge I see on the web. I trust the fine minds here at the SD to have good information . Especially those who have deeper knowledge, attending Yale, and what’s thought of it. Thanks in advance, and what say y’all? [/QUOTE] I second that! I want dirt on S&B! I once took a class at Yale and I heard it whispered that [unsubstiantiated rumor] one of the S&B buildings (the light stone one that \*\*Northern Piper \*\* mentioned) consistently had the highest water bill of any building in New Haven. It really tickles the imagination: what might they have in there?! [/unsubstantiated rumor] ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/5 "2007-02-23T11:19:14Z")
It’s a cover for the Porcellian. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/6 "2007-02-23T12:55:09Z")
Excuse me. (Leaves the room.) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/7 "2007-02-23T13:03:32Z")
Former Hoover Institute scholar-turned-Conspirologist Antony Sutton went from some writing some really good books on Western subsidizing of the Soviet Union and Eastern Establishment support for the Bolshevik Revolution, FDR & Hitler, to writing some intricate but far out expose’s of the Trilateral Commission and later Skull and Bones. When confronted by the fact that the TLC, its US parent the CFR, and also S&B included conservatives as well as liberals, his explanation was that’s how they controlled both sides of the political discussion, keeping any change within a certain range, with no real challenge to their power. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/8 "2007-02-23T22:11:39Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] I remember there were two clubhouses on the Yale campus that stood out - one a dark brown stone, and the other a white stone. Neither had any major windows, and you had to hunt around to find the doorway. There was supposedly a third one, but I never noticed the clubhouse for it. Probably a secret location. 🙂 [/QUOTE] All the “important” secret societies have their own tomb (there are other societies, but they’re not old enough or important enough to have tombs\*). The [Skull and Bones tomb](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_Bones) is a dark brown stone building that is fairly tucked away between Jonathan Edwards college and the art school. I actually saw inside [Book and Snake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_and_Snake) once from across the street when they had the doors open while doing maintenance. All I saw was a small foyer with a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I suppose whatever was in there couldn’t have been THAT sensitive, since they had regular university maintenance guys coming and going like they would any other building. Book and Snake flanks Woolsey Hall to the west, while [Scroll and Key](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scroll_and_Key) is to the south. [Berzelius](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berzelius) is a few blocks to the east of campus (I could never remember what that one was called until I looked it up just now). [Wolf’s Head](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf%27s_Head_%28secret_society%29) is in “frat row,” the buildings of which house various cultural organizations, the Alumni Association, and the Yale Daily News. It’s different from the other tombs I’ve mentioned, being similar to the surrounding buildings, except with all the windows bricked up and a small yard enclosed by a 8 foot stone wall. I haven’t the faintest clue what goes on inside the actual tombs, but I’ve heard about one of them having initiates masturbate while in a coffin. I can, however, tell you about tap night, which happens during the spring semester. Groups from secret societies go out, often dressed similar to the murderer from Scream or the people from the sex club in Eyes Wide Shut, track down juniors they want to initiate, and then make them go do a bunch of weird/humiliating stuff. One spring evening I got propositioned by a girl decked out as a skanky clown as a group of the robed/masked guys followed behind. That was pretty funny, but seeing as how she’d been chosen by a secret society and not me, that means that she’s better than me now anyway. ☹ 😉 \*A friend of mine actually managed to “intimidate” his way into one of the not-famous ones once. So at least the little ones don’t have goons. That was about five years ago now, and he’s doing well for himself, so that one didn’t have connections, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/9 "2007-02-23T22:18:57Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] I remember there were two clubhouses on the Yale campus that stood out - one a dark brown stone, and the other a white stone. Neither had any major windows, and you had to hunt around to find the doorway. There was supposedly a third one, but I never noticed the clubhouse for it. Probably a secret location. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I can point you to four on campus. One just off old campus (Skull & Bones), one where Whitney splits into Church and Temple (Scroll & Key, I think), one right next to the law school (Book & Snake?), and one on the corner of College and Wall (???). They’re no more illuminati than any other college group, but that’s not saying much. Just think how strong the “old boy” network is. If a lot of people from group X are in positions of immense power and can make decisions about who gets hired and fired, you’d be well off to also be a member of group X. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/10 "2007-02-23T23:15:03Z")
[QUOTE=Mathochist] I can point you to four on campus. One just off old campus (Skull & Bones), one where Whitney splits into Church and Temple (Scroll & Key, I think), one right next to the law school (Book & Snake?), and one on the corner of College and Wall (???). [/QUOTE] The Whitney split is Berzalius, Book and Snake is next to the law school, as you said, and the one on college and wall is Scroll and Key. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/11 "2007-02-24T00:58:36Z")
[QUOTE=Khan] All the “important” secret societies have their own tomb (there are other societies, but they’re not old enough or important enough to have tombs\*). [/QUOTE] **Tombs!** I knew I shouldn’t be calling them clubhouses, but couldn’t remember they were called tombs. Thanks, **Khan**. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/12 "2007-02-24T01:05:57Z")
checked out **Khan’s** links. Skull and Bones and the Book and Snake are the two I was trying to describe. I obviously misremembered when I said you had to hunt for a door. But, no windows. I wonder if they have skylights? ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/13 "2007-02-24T01:31:54Z")
Thanks for replies, especially Khan for the details. [Interesting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collegiate_secret_societies) that Yale has the strongest tradition of these societies, of all colleges on the list. According to that list, Harvard doesn’t have them. Why is that? Harvard is as much a training ground for the elite, so why the difference? Those tombs are creepy, and very different from the fraternities I’m familiar with here in the South. That tradition is modeled on Southern plantation architecture and social mores. (With plenty of beer.) The exception at UNC-Chapel Hill is [Gimghoul Castle](http://www.carrboro.com/gimghoulcastle.html), but it’s not as coveted as the Yale Societies are. I suppose the tombs are to impart a serious tone, and to appeal to a youthful sense of drama, and perhaps have roots in the Masonic tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/14 "2007-02-24T03:25:00Z")
I’ve noticed a building on the Dartmouth campus similar to those being described here. It’s essentially the same thing, but gray. Dartmouth is an Ivy League school, after all, and quite old, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it was one of these societies. Anyone got dirt on a Dartmouth secret society? ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/15 "2007-02-24T03:38:18Z")
Probably [the Sphinx](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_%28senior_society%29), Spatial Rift. And to add to Randy Seltzer’s comments upthread about high water bills: > [@](#): > > Many rumors surround the Sphinx. There have been stories of students who have scaled the walls of the building, finally reaching the roof with its skylight to find a masked man awaiting them wielding a cane. It is also said that the tomb routinely has the highest water bill of any building on campus and that a passageway connects the Sphinx to the basement of Alpha Delta fraternity. The group’s clandestine operations are rumored to include everything from providing anonymous community service to stealing $12,000 worth of artwork from the College in a traditional scavenger hunt. There are rumors of a mystic library and Cleopatra’s swimming pool. What’s up with these high water bills? What’s going on in them tombs? Cecil, this might be something to look into. The more I read about this secret society stuff, the more my head hurts. ---
**Author:** ![1point618](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/c57346/32.png) [@1point618](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1point618)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/16 "2007-02-24T05:29:11Z")
My grandfather was in S&B back in the 50’s, and the only thing he’s been willing to tell me is that he saw much worse while he was in DKE than when he was in S&B. Furthermore, as a current undergrad at Yale I can clear up a few rumors. First, these are all secret societies for seniors only, so whoever said they tap from each class is wrong. Second, while tap night is a very big occasion, and if you’re outside you’re likely to get accosted, otherwise the Yale secret societies play very little into student life, and people just don’t really care that much. Also, they aren’t incredibly secret. My freshman year, Rumpus, the campus tabloid, exposed the names of everyone in every secret society. Also, most the people who get picked, especially for the bigger name ones, are guaranteed a place in some way or another: the QB of the football team, the President of the College Counsel, the Editor in chief of the Yale Daily News, they all get a place. Back in the day, they were societies where like-minded entrepreneurs could get together and network, but now they’re pretty much a hold-on from the old Yale, and there are much more interesting things to do, see and talk about on campus. And by the way, Paul in Saudi is suggesting that he was in Skull and Bones, as when S&B comes up in a conversation when a S&B’er is present in the room, he is supposed to simply say “Excuse me” and leave the room quietly. Here is a great personal essay on the societies: [http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/lydon/2004/08/30](http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/lydon/2004/08/30) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/17 "2007-02-24T15:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=1point618] First, these are all secret societies for seniors only, so whoever said they tap from each class is wrong. [/QUOTE] True, it’s only for seniors, but each year, they tap the junior year class, so each class in turn is represented in the society. That’s what I meant by saying they tap from each class. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/18 "2007-02-24T18:11:11Z")
Ah yes, the Sphinx. I knew I had heard a name for it before. Thank you, **elelle**. I too am curious about these high water bills. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/19 "2007-02-24T22:30:48Z")
I don’t know anything about secret societies but I am getting a little paranoid about the Oval Office being inhabited by a string of Yalies. That alone gives me pause about Hillary. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319/20 "2007-03-23T04:09:51Z")
Can’t believe this thread is a month old already. Color me absent minded for losing track of it. I’m happy that my contribution helped. [QUOTE=1point618] Furthermore, as a current undergrad at Yale I can clear up a few rumors. First, these are all secret societies for seniors only, so whoever said they tap from each class is wrong. [/QUOTE] You misunderstand. No one said that they tap every class, they just go after juniors during the spring for membership senior year. Besides, who’d be left to tap new members if they only did it senior year? 😛 😉 All the secret society alumni go off to internships at various Illuminati continental branch offices anyway. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yale-skull-and-bones-society-whats-the-skinny/393319.md?page=2)