Skull and Bones
Overview
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior
or secret society
at Yale University
, New Haven, Connecticut
. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key
and Wolf's Head
, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale.
The society's alumni organization, which owns the society's real property and oversees the organization, is the Russell Trust Association
, named for William Huntington Russell
, who co-founded Skull and Bones with classmate Alphonso Taft
. The Russell Trust was founded by Russell and Daniel Coit Gilman
, member of Skull and Bones and later president of the University of California
, first president of Johns Hopkins University
, and the founding president of the Carnegie Institution.
The society is known informally as "Bones", and members are known as "Bonesmen".
Skull and Bones was founded in 1832 after a dispute among Yale's debating societies, Linonia
, Brothers in Unity
, and the Calliopean Society
, over that season's Phi Beta Kappa awards; its original name was "the Order of Skull and Bones."
The only chapter of Skull and Bones created outside Yale was a chapter at Wesleyan University
in 1870.
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
or secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key
Scroll and Key
The Scroll and Key Society is a secret society, founded in 1842 at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. It is the wealthiest and second oldest Yale secret society...
and Wolf's Head
Wolf's Head (secret society)
Wolf's Head Society is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Membership is recomposed annually of fifteen or sixteen Yale University students, typically juniors from the college...
, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale.
The society's alumni organization, which owns the society's real property and oversees the organization, is the Russell Trust Association
Russell Trust Association
The Russell Trust Association is the business name for the New Haven, Connecticut, based Skull and Bones society, incorporated in 1856.The Russell Trust was incorporated by William Huntington Russell as its president, and Daniel Coit Gilman as its first treasurer...
, named for William Huntington Russell
William Huntington Russell
William Huntington Russell was an American businessman, educator, and politician. He was the founder of the Yale University secret society Skull and Bones. He was a descendant of several old New England families, including those of Pierpont, Hooker, Willett, Bingham, and Russell. His ancestor Rev...
, who co-founded Skull and Bones with classmate Alphonso Taft
Alphonso Taft
Alphonso Taft was the Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and the founder of an American political dynasty. He was the father of U.S...
. The Russell Trust was founded by Russell and Daniel Coit Gilman
Daniel Coit Gilman
Daniel Coit Gilman was an American educator and academician, who was instrumental in founding the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale College, and who subsequently served as one of the earliest presidents of the University of California, the first president of Johns Hopkins University, and as...
, member of Skull and Bones and later president of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, first president of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, and the founding president of the Carnegie Institution.
The society is known informally as "Bones", and members are known as "Bonesmen".
Skull and Bones was founded in 1832 after a dispute among Yale's debating societies, Linonia
Linonian Society
Linonia is a literary and debating society founded in 1753 at Yale University.-History:Linonia was founded in 1753 as Yale University's second literary and debating society. By the late eighteenth century, all incoming freshmen at Yale College became members either of Linonia or its rival society,...
, Brothers in Unity
Brothers in Unity
Brothers in Unity was an 18th century debating society at Yale University. At the time of the formation of Yale's central library, two debating societies, Linonia and Brothers in Unity, donated their respective libraries to the university...
, and the Calliopean Society
Calliopean Society
The Calliopean Society is a literary and debating society founded at Yale College in 1819 by a group of members of Linonia dissatisfied by the result of the election for that society's president...
, over that season's Phi Beta Kappa awards; its original name was "the Order of Skull and Bones."
The only chapter of Skull and Bones created outside Yale was a chapter at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1870.
