The Order of Skull and Bones is a secret organization formed in 1832 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. William Huntington Russell, the founder of Skull and Bones, was inspired by an esoteric organization he visited in Germany. Alphonso Taft, future Secretary of War under President Grant and father of President William Howard Taft… who would also be a member of Skull and Bones, was a co-founder. Among Bonesman’s notable clients are numerous presidents and modern-day power brokers.
The Skull and Bones Society, with its strong members and strange rituals, has long been connected with dark conspiracy ideas.
According to legend, under cover of darkness in 1918, Yale student Prescott S. Bush dug up Geronimo’s tomb.
Society’s initiation procedure has long been shrouded in mystery, leading many to assume that it involves occult activities, black magic, and even animal sacrifices. The Skull and Bones Society and the Bonesmen have long been the target of conspiracy theories due to society’s secrecy and exclusivity.
William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft founded Skull & Bones in 1832. According to some sources, the organization was founded due to a disagreement over Phi Beta Kappa elections. According to some reports, Russell patterned the organization after European societies he met while studying in Germany. The Eulogian Club was society’s initial name. The Russell Trust Association was formed in 1856.
The society’s insignia is a skull and crossbones with the number “322” beneath it. The year (322 BCE) of the death of the Greek orator Demosthenes is often regarded as a watershed moment in the shift of ancient Athens from democracy to plutocracy.
The Tomb, a massive brownstone structure in New Haven, serves as the society’s clubhouse. The Tomb, which was constructed in 1856, was increased in 1903 and has subsequently been expanded.
Skull and Bones are the oldest of numerous Yale campus secret organizations. Like most others, every spring, it selects 15 new members in a ceremony known as “tap day.”
A society member claps juniors on the shoulder to inform them of their selection. The group has traditionally kept its operations private, but it has made its membership list public for many years. Some of the newcomers are high-achieving students, while others are descended from socially important families.
Skull and Bones were created in 1832 by Alphonso Taft, founder of the political family and father of President William Taft. Russell established the Russell Trust as the society’s business arm in 1856.
Bones belonging to both Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Secretary of State John Kerry, the younger Bush’s opponent in the 2004 presidential race, felt the same way. In his book, Bush stated, “[In my] senior year, I joined Skull and Bones, a secret organization; so secret, I can’t say anything more.” A reporter once asked Kerry what it meant for two Bonesmen to run for president against each other. “Not much, because it’s a secret,” he responded.
The Bonesmen have a history of stealing from other Yale organizations. They’ve taken Martin Van Buren’s, Pancho Villa’s, and Geronimo’s skulls. During World War I, Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush’s father, allegedly broke into his tomb and took his skull and two bones. Geronimo’s family accused the organization of stealing his remains in 2009. The lawsuit was dismissed by the court.
In 1991, Bonesman William F. Buckley headed a group that sought to prevent women from being admitted to Skull and Bones. Even though black males have been allowed since 1965, the Russell Trust was vehemently opposed. The Russell Trust replaced the locks on the Tomb after the class of ’91 chose seven women for the class of ’92. Members voted 368-320 in favor of allowing women to vote by mail. However, Buckley and his supporters were granted a temporary restraining order against the action. The case was finally dropped, and the first women joined in 1992.
Also Read, What is The Order of the Freemasons?
Although Yale University has welcomed women since 1969, ladies were not admitted to Skull and Bones until 1992.
A popular rumor holds that the stolen skull of Apache chieftain Geronimo is among the artifacts kept at Skull & Bones’ Tomb. Geronimo’s descendants unsuccessfully sued in 2009 to have the skull returned to them.
The Skull and Bones Society and the Bonesmen have long been the target of conspiracy theories due to society’s secrecy and exclusivity.
Some believe the group was responsible for the Kennedy assassination. They invented the nuclear weapon, funded and influenced the Illuminati, and even ran the Central Intelligence Agency.
Click here to know the most Powerful people who were members of Skull and Bones…
How Do You Join the Skull And Bones?
Each year, 15 Yale seniors are chosen to join Skull and Bones. Their names appear in Yale Rumpus, but what happens beyond the locked walls of The Tomb, the windowless meeting place where Bonesmen assemble twice a week, is a mystery: Members take a secrecy oath. Graduate members are known as “patriarchs,” whereas those undergoing initiations are known as “knights.” Outsiders are referred to as “barbarians.”
Members of Skull and Bones include Presidents William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, and his son, George W. Bush; Time magazine founder Henry Luce; former Secretary of State and presidential candidate John Kerry; Fortune 500 elites, and CIA personnel.
Anthony Sutton’s controversial 1986 exposé America’s Secret Establishment stated that Skull and Bones aimed to establish a “new global order” ruled by Bonesmen, sparking a slew of conspiracy theories.
Symbol: Skull And Bones
Skull and Bones’ emblem is, unsurprisingly, a skull with two crossbones. What is unclear is the significance of the number “322” underneath them. According to Yale Alumni Magazine, it marks the year 322 B.C., when Alexander the Great died.
The number ‘322’ appears on the society’s symbol. It is supposed to relate to the year 322 B.C. when Athens lost the Lamian War and had to abolish her democracy. Only rich Athenians were allowed to remain citizens under a new, plutocratic regime.
Here are some facts you might not know about Skulls and Bones…
Skull & Bones owns Deer Island near Alexandria, New York, on the St. Lawrence River. It is used for social gatherings by the group, and every new member visits it. Though servants formerly served catered dinners in beautiful cottages on the island, few ancient structures remain. The 40-acre hideaway was densely forested and had stone ruins and a modest lodge. It was characterized as a “lovely dump” by one Bonesman.
According to Business Insider, Bones is just the fifth richest of Yale’s 41 secret societies, with $4,129,936 in assets in 2015.
