Skull and Bones
Yale University's secret society founded in 1832, whose alumni include two U.S. Presidents, Supreme Court justices, and leaders in intelligence and finance.
INVESTIGATION OVERVIEW
Skull and Bones is a secret society at Yale University founded in 1832 by William H. Russell and Alphonso Taft. The society selects 15 new members each year from the Yale senior class. Its windowless campus building, 'The Tomb,' is famously closed to outsiders. Notable Bonesmen include Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Senator John Kerry, and numerous CIA directors. The secrecy surrounding membership and rituals has made it a persistent subject of conspiracy theories about elite power networks.
KEY CLAIMS
Skull and Bones controls the CIA and major intelligence agencies
Members receive powerful lifetime networking connections to government and finance
The society engages in ritualistic practices and pilfers artifacts for its 'Tomb'
The Bush family and the Taft family have held generations of Bonesmen members
The society operates as a secret power network beyond Yale
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Documented membership lists confirm the extraordinary power of Bonesmen alumni
Two Presidents, numerous Senators, and multiple CIA directors were Bonesmen
The society's island retreat (Deer Island) is verified through public real estate records
Former members have described initiation rituals and the society's internal structure
The Tomb and the society's secrecy are confirmed by journalists
COUNTER ARGUMENTS
Correlation between membership and power does not prove causation
Yale's overall elite status explains the power of its graduates regardless of society membership
The number of Bonesmen in high office has declined in recent decades
Many rituals described by former members are benign fraternity traditions
The society's influence may be exaggerated by its own mystique
TIMELINE
Skull and Bones founded at Yale
First 'Tomb' building constructed
George H.W. Bush's father joins; Bones-Bush dynasty begins
Multiple Bonesmen reach highest levels of U.S. government
KEY FIGURES
William H. Russell
Founder (1832)
George H.W. Bush
Bonesman and 41st U.S. President
George W. Bush
Bonesman and 43rd U.S. President
John Kerry
Bonesman and Secretary of State
ORGANIZATIONS
Yale University
Academic
Skull and Bones
Secret Society
SOURCES
RELATED ENTITIES
PEOPLE
William H. Russell
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush
John Kerry
ORGANIZATIONS
Yale University
Skull and Bones
EVENTS
Skull and Bones founded at Yale
1832
First 'Tomb' building constructed
1856
George H.W. Bush's father joins; Bones-Bush dynasty begins
1918
Multiple Bonesmen reach highest levels of U.S. government
1940s–present