

The secret society garnered blame for events as diverse as the creation of the nuclear bomb and the Kennedy assassination - although these credits remain largely unsubstantiated.Īccording to an article in Time Magazine, “Bonesmen have, at one time, controlled the fortunes of the Carnegie, Rockefeller and Ford families, as well as posts in the Central Intelligence Agency, the American Psychological Association…and some of the most important firms in the world.” The number of Skull and Bones alumni in prominent positions of authority hints at the inner workings of such an organization, revealing the power these secret societies can wield.īohemian Club The Culture of Journalism Finds a New Home To this day, Skull and Bones remains rooted in conspiracy. The connections made in these circles could solidify a student’s lifetime prospects in American business. Often attaining membership in these societies represented the central goal for those attending university.

Skull and Bones gave rise to many undergraduate secret societies that followed in its footsteps. Further examination into the events preceding the club’s formation revealed Russell’s rejection into the prestigious academic society, Phi Beta Kappa. In 1832, a schism confronted the debating societies of Yale, prompting William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft to form the first senior undergraduate secret society called Skull and Bones. Skull and Bones Origins and Roles of Undergraduate Societies In the end, the Jekyll Island Club hosted one of the largest banking reorganizations ever - and solidified its place in the legacy of backroom talks throughout American history. Even the servants on the island remained unaware of the dignitaries to whom they attended.
THE SECRET SOCIETY CLUB CODE
They departed New York in a private railcar, rode hundreds of miles south in the dead of night, and utilized code names during their entire stay on the island.

Throughout their stay on the island, they operated in total secrecy. Federal Reserve on Jekyll Island in 1910. Together, they devised the first draft of legislation to create the U.S. Senator Nelson Aldrich, chairman of the National Monetary Commission and fresh off his two-year study of European banking operations, assembled this group of the banking elite. As the American banking system continued to display a large degree of volatility, particularly following the Panic of 1907, a group of wealthy bankers stole away to the island - under the guise of pseudonyms - to restructure the system. Perhaps the most interesting component in the rich history of Jekyll Island Club remains its role in the formation of the Federal Reserve. Finney intended recreational hunting to be the foremost attraction, even hiring a gamekeeper to stock the island with pheasants, turkeys, and deer.
THE SECRET SOCIETY CLUB PATCH
When plantation owner Newton Finney first organized the purchase of Jekyll Island, a patch of land just off the Georgia coast, he intended to attract a group of businessmen who could use the island as a resort. Morgan, William Vanderbilt, and Cyrus McCormick, the father of modern agriculture.

The club boasted a membership of notable titans of industry, including J.P. The Jekyll Island Club Background and originsįor 50 years, the Jekyll Island Club remained the most exclusive recreational society in America. These societies, comprised of national visionaries and public figures, harnessed a power that, for years, remained behind closed doors.Īs the truth of these organizations slowly leaked out, it became clear they provided a backdrop to some of the most important movements in American history. In America, a few secret organizations played significant roles in shaping the country’s evolution. Secret societies remain inconspicuous in the ledgers of global history.
