PURCHASE
Amazon | Barnes&Noble | iBooks | audible.com
skulls and keys: The Hidden History of Yale's Secret Societies
The mysterious, highly influential hidden world of Yale’s secret societies is revealed in a definitive and scholarly history.
Secret societies have fundamentally shaped America’s cultural and political landscapes. In ways that are expected but never explicit, the bonds made through the most elite of secret societies have won members governorships, senate seats, and even presidencies, as well as Pulitzer Prizes and Academy Awards. At the apex of these institutions stands Yale University and its rumored forty-seven secret societies. Tracing a history that has intrigued and enthralled for centuries, engaging the attention of such authors as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Skulls and Keys traces the history of Yale’s societies as they helped define the modern age of politics.
But there is a progressive side to Yale’s secret societies that we rarely hear about, one that, in the cultural tumult of the nineteen-sixties, resulted in the election of people of color, women, and gay men, even in proportions beyond their percentages in the class. It’s a side that is often overlooked in favor of sensational legends of blood oaths and toe-curling conspiracies. Dave Richards, an alumnus of Yale, sheds some light on the lesser known stories of Yale’s secret societies. He takes us through the history from Phi Beta Kappa in the American Revolution (originally a social and drinking society) through Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and their rivals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While there have been articles and books on some of those societies, there has never been a scholarly history of the system as a whole.
Reviews
“Given the secrecy of secret societies, we may never uncover all there is to know, but with Skull and Keys, David Richards comes as close as possible to giving us full and rich pictures of Yale’s distinctive and peculiar institutions. Those interested in Final Clubs at Harvard and Eating Clubs at Princeton will find much to ponder comparatively. And those interested in the history of Yale, of elites, of higher education, and America over the course of two centuries will learn from Richards’ prodigiously researched, engaging, and thoughtful book. They will find out about the history of collegiate rituals, changing patterns of American elitism, the connections between the local and the national, including how the welcomed and increased diversity of undergraduates in New Haven collided with traditional and often entrenched institutions and practices.”
“…Dave’s mission is to document, as fully as possible, the social milieus and interactions that brought young men together in fraternal groups and ultimately created what he calls “a peculiarly American forcing chamber of self-education and prestige.” His in-depth approach is very highly detailed—hence those 800 pages—but it is also a boon to the reader, because his method is to share voices and anecdotes from the 1700s through the present day.”
“This well written work is more than just about Yale history. Richards’ extensive undertaking took years to complete. In it he offers a detailed history on the origins of Skull and Bones, as well as Scroll and Key and Wolf’s Head – the other two senior societies at Yale.”
“History illuminates the past and guides us in the future. Yale’s secret societies have been mysterious, misunderstood, and maligned. In the context of Yale history, David Richards has done a superb job of exploring and explaining these unique institutions. This book will inform the reader and help open a new, intelligent discussion about higher education and leadership.”
“Full of intriguing revelations and even a little skulduggery.”
“In his book, Richards, a member of Skull and Bones, crafts an extensive historical narrative about the place of secret societies son Yale’s campus and within the American public imagination.”
Purchase Skulls and Keys
Skulls and Keys in the media
Interview for an article by US News and World Report about College Secret Societies
A special presentation to the Grolier Club, America's largest and oldest rare book collectors' society, on Yale secret societies and their literary impact here and abroad
An interview with Albany's National Public Radio station about the narrative arc of Skulls and Keys, why the book was written, and how it was researched.
Newstalk Radio in Dublin interview 10/26/17
Irish Talk Radio's Sean Moncrieff of Dublin asks the author about the remarkable American college societies. Please note, audio will begin to play immediately once you click through; and the Skulls and Keys discussion begins at 1 hour, 42 minutes.
