An Introduction to the Order of Skull and Bones - vHo

"The Favoritism Shown To Bones Men"
"Are not we coming to a sad state when open injustice can be done by the Faculty, and when the fact that a
man is a member of Skull and Bones can prejudice them in his favor Briefly, the case which calls forth this
question is this: Two members of the Senior class, the one being a neutral, the other a Bones man, returned
at the beginning of the college year laden with several conditions, some of which, upon examination, they
failed to pass. Up to this point the cases were parallel, and the leniency, if there was to be leniency, should
have been shown to the neutral, who has done all that lay in his power to further the interests of the college,
rather than to the Bones man, who has, during his three years at Yale, accomplished nothing that we wot of.
But, strange to say, the former has been suspended until the end of the term and obliged to leave town, not
being permitted to pass another examination until he returns. The Bones man, on the contrary, is allowed to
remain in New Haven, attends recitation daily, is called upon to recite, and will have a second examination in
less than six weeks. Why is this distinction made `O, Mr. So-and-so's is a special case,' said a professor (a
Bones man), - the specialty, we presume, being the fact that Mr. So-and-so wears a death's head and cross
bones upon his bosom. We understand that Mr. So-and-so claims to have been ill during vacation and offers
the illness as an excuse for not passing the examination; but the neutral gentleman was also ill, as the Faculty
were expressly informed in a letter from his father."
"The circumstance has caused a very lively indignation throughout the Senior class. It is certainly time for
a radical reform when the gentlemen who superintend our destinies, and who should be just if nothing else,
can allow themselves to be influenced by so petty a thing as society connections."
Esquire (September 1977)
Only one article is known to have been published within the last 100 years on The Order. Unfortunately, it
is a superficial, almost mocking, review and provides some enlightenment but little contribution to historical
knowledge. The article is the "Last Secrets of Skull and Bones" by Ron Rosenbaum (Esquire, September
1977).
Rosenbaum is a Yale graduate attracted by the fictional possibilities of a secret society out to control the
world; he is apparently not aware of the political implications. The contribution is a blend of known
authentic documents and outright hearsay. On the other hand, Rosenbaum does make some notable
observations. Among these are: ". . . the people who have shaped America's national character since it ceased
being an undergraduate power had their undergraduate character shaped in that crypt over there" (i.e., the
"temple" on the Yale campus).
Another comment: when a new member is initiated into The Order, "tonight he will die to the world and
be born again into The Order as he will thenceforth refer to it. The Order is a world unto itself in which he
will have a new name and fourteen new blood brothers, also with new names."
And when Rosenbaum starts to inquire about The Order, he is told: "They don't like people tampering
and prying. The power of Bones is incredible. They've got their hands on every lever of power in the country.
You'll see - it's like trying to look into the Mafia. Remember they're a secret society too."
The Esquire piece is well worth reading, it gives a side of The Order that doesn't concern us too much.
The "Addreses" Books
As The Order is a secret society it does not publish minutes or journals. As Rosenbaum suggests, "they
don't like people tampering and prying.„
This author does, however, possess copies of the "Addresses" books, which used to be called "Catalogues."
These are the membership lists all the way back to 1832, the founding date in the United States. How did this
material make its way into outside hands It is possible that one or more members, although bound by oath,
would not be dismayed if the story became public knowledge. That's all we will say.
Other material exists, Skull & Bones is always a lively topic for Yale conversation. Some time back a few
practical minded students made their own investigation; they did a break-in job, a "Yalegate." A small hoard of
Bones momentos, a layout diagram and considerable embarrassment resulted.