Bones of Contention Infamous for reportedly bizarre initiation rituals, Yale's secret society Skull and Bones serves as a recruiting ground for entrants into the covert international Power Elite. by William Norman Grigg more." That society is the focus ofthe new perception is so intertwined with his secret- book, Secrets ofthe Tomb:SkullandBones, society identity ... that if he were to betray How did George W. Bush become the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of or leave Skull and Bones, he would lose president? This question is not Power, by Yale graduate Alexandra Rob- what has become a major part of the way meant to address his election, but bins. The author describes the Order of that he identifies himself." rather his means of ascent as a viable can Skull and Bones as a key part of a network Skull and Bones has also become a didate for the office. Whatever one thinks "which is powerful but intangible and major spawning ground for our nation's ofMr. Bush's character, abilities, and poli available only to those who seek it out." political, diplomatic, financial, and media cies, there are many others who could be In fact, it is the Order that does the seek elite. "The list of prominent members of better presidents. And even his most ardent ing, selecting (or "tapping") 15 promising Skull and Bones is staggering, particular supporters would have to admit that his Yale students to spend their senior years ly given that, with only fifteen new mem rise to the presidency was not propelled ex communing as "knights" of the society in bers initialed each year, there are approxi clusively by his personal merits. the 'Tomb," the society's Gothic sandstone mately eight hundred living members at In his autobiography, George W. Bush headquarters. "There is reason to everything any one time," Robbins points out. "It coyly alluded to an influential under Skull and Bones does; its headquarters, would seem to be no small coincidence ground network that has covertly aided his program, and rituals have all been carefully that a tiny college club has somehow man political career. Referring to his under calibrated to cultivate its power by essen aged to spawn three presidents of the Unit graduate days at Yale, Bush recalled: "My tially training its members," writes Robbins. ed States"—William Howard Taft and the senior year I joined Skull and Bones, a se "Eventually a cret society, so secret I can't say anything member's Threegenerations ofsecrets: As a heavy-drinking Yale seniorof limited accomplishments. George W. Bush (right, with George Bush the elder) was tapped for Skull and Bones, following in the footsteps ofhis father and grandfather, Senator Prescott Bush (above). Bonesmen helped finance George W.'s unsuccessful forays into business, as well as his gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. THENEWAMERICAN • NOVEMBER 4. 2002 -four major co-investors was Yale Student William H. Russell, scion of aril Dudley S. Taft. President of an immensely wealthy family that ran a Sober analysts of the partially submergedSrgeO v. <3 Broadcasting and grand- world opium empire. While living in Ger international Power Elite do not believe5Ve 1 nephew ofBonesman Presi- many, "Russell befriended the leader of an h'riH 1 William Howard Taft, insidious German secret society that hailed that Skull and Bones is running that hiddenlllOaen I Dudley was "a member of the death's head as its logo," Robbins re network. Yet there is very good evidencejnce 3 family with more counts. "Russell soon became caught up in _ ?( Bones members than the this group, itself a sinister outgrowth of die that Skull and Bones serves as a primary' . i Bushes," Robbins points out. notorious eighteenth-century society, the recruiting ground for that covert elite, 'v<1 As would be expected. Illuminati." Skull and Bones members This is more than a little ironic, given """" figure prominently in the that a few decades earlier the president of two George Bushes. The 2004 presidential donor lists from George W. Bush's politi Yale College had warned ofthe sinister in race might involve two "Bonesmen" — cal campaigns. Fifty-eight Bonesmen do fluence of revolutionary secret societies, President Bush and Massachusetts Demo nated a total of$57,972 (the legal limit) to especially the Illuminati, which he identi cratic Senator John Kerry. the 2000 Bush presidential campaign, and fied as the engine driving European social "The biggest benefit to Skull and several others offered contributions in their and political upheavals, particularly the Bones is the networking," one Bonesman wives' names. Bonesmen helped lay the French Revolution. In his Independence told Robbins. "In the rest ofthe world you foundation for George W. Bush's formida Day address in 1798, President Timothy get to know people through accident or ble 2000 war chest. Dwight warned that the doctrines and ac through choice. In Bones you meet peo Thirty-three years after the boozy, un tivities of the Illuminati "strike at the root ple whom you otherwise wouldn't get to derachieving son of a Bonesman was of all human happiness and virtue ... meet. It's a forced setup among a group "tapped" to fill one of the "legacy" slots in [seeking] the overthrow of religion, gov of high achievers...." That network can the society, the newly inaugurated Presi ernment, and human society civil and do also help less gifted individuals gain ac dent George W. Bush hosted a reunion of mestic." The Illuminists consider their ob cess to it as "legacies," initiates who are fellow "Bonesmen" in the White House. jectives "to be so good, that murder, sons of distinguished members of the butchery, and war, however extended and Order. Means of Ascent dreadful, are declared by them to be com Such is the case with George W. Bush, George W. Bush's career could be sum pletely justifiable, if necessary for these who "clearly was not one of the top stu marized by a line from the 1970 television great purposes." dents at Andover, [but]... was the descen film The Brotherhood ofthe Bell, which By the time Russell returned to New dant of two of Skull and Bones' favorite portrayed an occultic campus society mod Haven for his senior year, an anti-Mason- sons" — his father, George H.W. Bush, eled after Skull and Bones. In the film, ic movement had taken root across the na and his grandfather, Senator Prescott Bush. Professor Andy Patterson (Glenn Ford) is tion. Prompted in part by the backlash In 1968, as a shallow youth given to drunk given an assignment from "The Bell" to against Freemasonry, Yale authorities had enness and indifferent to his studies, blackmail a refugee scholar into with divested all of the campus fraternities — George W. was accepted into Skull and drawing his candidacy for a prestigious including Phi Beta Kappa — of their se Bones and given the secret name 'Tempo academic post. The Bell, Patterson is told, crecy. Undaunted, Russell (who would go rary." Bush's Skull and Bones connection intended that post for one of them. After on to be Yale's 1833 valedictorian) assem proved useful when, as aYale graduate, his the despairing refugee commits suicide, bled a group of the most promising Yale application to the University of Texas Law Patterson tells his "senior," financier Chad students and created the OrderofSkull and School was rejected: Fellow Bonesman Halmon (Dean Jagger), that he wants to re Bones as an American chapter of the Ger Robert Walker hired Bush as a manage sign from the secret society. man secret society to which he had been ment trainee at Stratford ofTexas, a Hous- "You had your option 22 years ago," introduced. ton-based agricultural firm. Halmon tells Patterson. "You have re Since the time of its founding, the When Bush formed Arbusto Energy Inc. ceived every [advantage], every fellow Order's origins, rituals, and purposes have in 1977, "he once again sought the help of ship, every post you've ever wanted. You been the subject of speculation. According Skull ^nd Bones," writes Robbins. A have never competed for anything in the to some accounts, each initiate into Skull Bonesman uncle. New York investment last 22 years, since you took that oath at and Bones is required to lie naked in a cof banker Jonathan Bush, arranged $565,000 sunrise." Indeed, as Patterson himself had fin, describe in detail his sexual history, in financing for the oil firm; $172,550 told a young student undergoing his own and wrestle naked in a mudpile with fellow came from California investor William H. initiation into The Bell, accepting the so initiates. Some exposes insist that "The Draper, another Bonesman. These invest ciety's discipline meant having "anything Tomb" is adorned with "Nazi memorabil ments were water poured into sand, since that one can get with money, power, and ia" as well as "dozens of skulls ... coffins, Arbusto went bust by 1984. When Bush the best connections." skeletons, and innards," writes Robbins. was negotiating to purchase the Texas The real-life connections of the Skull Others have claimed that initiates receive Rangers baseball team in 1989,one of the and Bones were first forged in 1832 by a 515,000 graduation gift, and engage in THE NEWAMERICAN • NOVEMBER 4. 2002 Lair of the "Bonesmen": The Crypt," a gothicsandstone building on the Yale campus serves as headquarters for the Order of Skull and Bones, a powerful secret society. Since the Order was founded in 1832, hundreds of Yale seniors have undergone its esoteric rites, graduating to become highly placed members ofthe international Power Elite. ofSkull and Bones," those tapped for how Bonesmen and their covert colleagues Skull and Bones are inducted into "an have abetted conflicts — including world underground conspiracy to dominate wars— as partof a "dialectical" process of the world." consolidating global power.