on october 9 1701 yale university was founded with the mission to prepare youth for public employment both in church and civil state but yale's earliest origins began in the 1640s with a group of ministers who simply wanted to establish the theocracy in a college to educate its leaders for a university with such humble churchly beginnings it's shocking then that one of their oldest secret society's initiation rituals historically was rumored to include sharing the intimate details of one's full sexual history shrouded in secrecy this is everything we've dug up on skull and bones founded in 1832
skull and bones is the oldest of yale's many secret societies historically admission is reserved for senior yale undergraduates every year in the spring 15 new members from the junior class are offered membership on what is often called tap night a custom aptly named as the new member is said to be notified of their admittance when a current member ritually claps them on the shoulder skull bones members are known to take an oath of secrecy so their rituals and intricacies are highly guarded despite the fame of their members one thing we do know is the physical
location of the skull bones clubhouse and headquarters the nearly windowless building simply known as the tomb is housed in a large brownstone located at 64 high street in new haven connecticut to preserve confidentiality non-members are prohibited from entering the macabre decor of the clubhouse is well suited to skullenbones distinctively ghoulish spirit the tomb is said to be adorned with skeletons skulls and other dark works of art there is a popular rumor that the stolen skull of the apache leader geronimo is a relic that is housed within the tomb's cadaverous walls in 2009 geronimo's descendants attempted
to sue the organization to get the skull returned to them but were unsuccessful [Music] portraits of its distinguished memories lined the walls of the tomb as well portraits that might feature such esteemed bonesmen like former presidents george w bush george h.w bush and william howard taft as well as the father of american football and the founder of the ncaa walter camp the man who helped create the hubble telescope lyman spitzer time magazine's founder henry luce supreme court justice potter stewart former secretary of state and senator john kerry the so-called richest man in private equity with
a personal net worth currently valued at 15.7 billion dollars stephen a schwartzman political journalist and author dana milbank and the youngest member of president obama's cabinet economist austin woolsby [Music] if you're noticing a pattern among the members of skull bones that's because while yale has admitted woman since 1969 females were not granted membership into skull and bones until 1992 160 years after the club's founding for some time skull bones was apparently losing some of their top candidates because the organization was seen as regressive and sexist as more women people of color and lgbtq plus members
joined the organization the old boys club rituals had to adapt however the intricacies of how skull and bones has evolved to become a more inclusive space for new members remains largely as secretive as the very rituals themselves one's membership into skull bones even reaches beyond the grave as new initiates reportedly agree to leave a part of their estate to the club [Music] however in return it is said that the club ensures a policy and a promise of their lifelong financial stability and with such an affluent list of members it's hard to find a bone to
pick with such a guarantee you
