Skull and Bones: The History and Mystery of Yale University’s Notorious Secret Society

Summary

Conspiracy theories, and particularly the belief that elements of the world are secretly controlled by individuals or groups, have been around for as long as people have lived in groups. Perhaps that’s inevitable - after all, those who are excluded from power are very likely to be inclined to see their position not as an outcome of their own choices or situation but because of the secret machinations of shadowy groups.

When members of a secret society are some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world, it’s easy to see why rumors persist about the group, and among such secret societies, few have engendered interest quit like Skull and Bones, an undergraduate senior society at Yale University. Its members have included American presidents and the CEOs of some of the largest companies in the world, but the group’s secrecy has maintained itself to the extent that some of the membership is virtually all anyone knows for certain, leaving most of what is found in books and websites speculation and unproven legend. Is there any truth to the suggestion that this society is linked to the 18th century Illuminati? Is it a mafia-like organization that intends to see the creation of a New World Order? Why, during its almost 200-year history, has no member of this group ever talked publicly about what it involves? Have those who attempted to reveal more really been subject to intimidation, threats of violence, and even murder? Is the skull of the legendary Geronimo really kept within the group’s secret lair?

Writing about any secret society is difficult, and writing about a group that has maintained absolute privacy for a long time is even more difficult.