Skull & Bones showdown Secret societies are part of pop culture, from The Da Vinci Code to conspiracy theories of a new world order to Hollywood movies. This year, they are also part of an election between President George W. Bush and Democratic nominee Sen. John F. Kerry. Both candidates belong to Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University, although neither has revealed much to the public about their lifetime memberships. Its so secret, we cant talk about it, Bush told Tim Russert on NBCs Meet the Press in a February interview this year. Although only 15 juniors are initiated every spring, Skull and Bones has an impressive list of members, according to Alexandra Robbins, a Yale graduate and author of Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power (2002). Robbins interviewed more than 100 Skull and Bones members for her book on the club. Three presidents -- William Howard Taft, the current President Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush -- are members, along with several congressmen, Supreme Court justices and Cabinet secretaries. There are several Bonesmen, in the Bush administration including William Donaldson, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bonesmen also hold powerful positions in the private sector, such as Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine, and Olympic swimming gold medalist Don Schollander. The presidential election is the first Bones v. Bones election in history, and for conspiracy theorists it proves the societys influence. But the high number of successful and powerful Bonesmen is just an example of patronage, Robbins said.
Posted on: Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:23:40 +0000
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