Yale's Skull and Bones

The Order of the Skull and Bones at Yale University is among the world's most famous secret societies. It was founded in 1832 over a dispute among Yale debating societies, and has had a series of prominent members in the almost two centuries that have followed. Some of its most famous members include Presidents William Howard Taft, and both George Bushes. 15 new members are selected each spring, usually campus leaders and other notable students. Members have access to facilities like "The Tomb," an inconspicuous building in New Haven, Connecticut and Deer Island on the St. Lawrence River. Rumors of initiation rituals vary, but many accounts include inductees being carried through The Tomb in a coffin.