Evidence: 4 (Real organization) / 3 (Influence debated)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What | Secret society at Yale University, founded 1832 by William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft |
| Membership | 15 new members “tapped” each year. Lifetime membership. Meets in a windowless building called “The Tomb” |
| Notable members | William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, John Kerry, multiple CIA directors, media executives, Supreme Court justices |
| Real influence | Disproportionate representation in government, intelligence, finance, and media is documented |
| The conspiracy | Bonesmen form an elite network that steers American policy. The 2004 presidential election (Bush vs. Kerry) featured two Bonesmen |
| The gap | Being in a network ≠ coordinating a conspiracy. Old-boy networks exist everywhere. The question is whether Skull and Bones operates as a directive organization or merely a social one |