The Skull and Bones Club of 1976: Blackface, Costumes, and an Unresolved Yale Mystery

Less than three months after publishing an article, “A Skull and Bones Photo, Blackface, and Unanswered Questions at Yale,” the mystery surrounding an unusual Bones delegation photograph has become more clear.

When I first encountered the image online (see Reddit post here), very little was known about this 1970s Skull and Bones delegation photograph. The identities of those pictured, the date the photograph was taken, and the occasion it commemorated were all uncertain. My goal was to document what could be learned from the available evidence while inviting those with firsthand knowledge to help fill in the remaining gaps.

Skull and Bones Club of 1976

The Reddit poster, who had shared the photograph online at least eight years ago, identified the Bonesman “on the far left” as his father. In one Reddit post, he listed the photo year as 1974 (which I assumed was the Delegation of 1974).

Subsequent research, however, established that the photograph does not depict the 1974 Bones Club, as initially considered, but instead the Skull and Bones Delegation of 1976. Membership lists from the period—including a Bones 322 catalogue from October 1983—provided an important starting point for identifying the delegation. The Class of 1976, coincidentally, graduated during both the United States Bicentennial and Yale’s 275th anniversary.

Once the 1976 delegation emerged as the likely match, its membership could be compared with photographs found in alumni publications, professional biographies, obituaries, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and other online sources. Taken together, the documentary and photographic evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the image depicts the Skull and Bones Club of 1976.

The 1976 delegation includes Robert William Blattner (1955 – 2023), the tall Yale champion swim team captain standing next to the grandfather clock, in jacket and tie, on the right in the Bones photo. He is seated with Yale jacket in the Yale Swim Team photo. Blattner “captured the 500-yard freestyle” as the Yale swim team upset previously unbeaten Harvard in February 1976. (NYTimes February 28, 1976)

The 1976 delegation also includes Miles Watson Leverett (1954–2014), a gifted Whiffenpoof soloist, an early leader of Yale’s Gay Student Alliance, and one of the first Black members of Skull and Bones. A fellow Whiff and Bonesman, without mentioning their shared “322” association, wrote in a Yale Alumni Magazine class obituary:

“There were few in the class of 1976 who did not know something of Miles Leverett. It was hard to miss his talent as a singer and performer, his star quality. He was the first African-American tapped into the Whiffenpoofs (along with Michael Martin and Lance Alexander that same night in 1975). He also was the first president of the Yale Gay Liberation Union. Miles was not just unforgettable; he was a force in other people’s lives.”

Leverett is standing to the left of the Bones grandfather clock and is the only member pictured wearing a suit with a long black tie. The “Whiffs of 1976” may have been performing on campus that day. Notably, the other Whiff in the Bones delegation—standing third from right in the Bones photograph and second from right in the Whiffs photograph—also appears to be wearing a long black tie and vest. This similarity in attire may offer an additional clue as to the date or occasion of the photograph.

For additional background on Leverett’s life and legacy, see Henry E. Hooper’s witness post, Miles Watson Leverett.

Future review of archival sources—including the 1976 Yale Banner and other contemporary Yale publications—should provide additional confirmation and may help resolve some of the remaining questions. In this post, I have intentionally identified by name only those members of the delegation who are deceased.

Historical Questions That Remain

Although the identities of the delegation are now resolved, several important historical questions remain.

When was the photograph taken?

I would estimate that the image, likely taken in the Skull and Bones Hall (note the back wall in the image above), dates to Thursday, October 30, 1975, Friday October 31, 1975, or Saturday November 1, 1975. Members of Yale’s senior societies typically meet on Thursday and Sunday nights. For many years, societies are known to host private Halloween parties in their Halls, which favors Friday 10/31 or Saturday 11/1.

Gentlemen songsters off on a spree?

Also, as noted above, the two Yale Whiffenpoofs who were members of the Skull and Bones Class of 1976 are both dressed in long black ties and suits or vests, suggesting that the photograph may have been taken on the same evening as a “Whiffs of 1976” performance. According to the Yale Daily News, the Fence Club was scheduled to host the Whiffenpoofs “after the Dartmouth game” on November 1, 1975. Gentlemen songsters off on a spree, perhaps?

What occasion does it commemorate?

Was it taken for Halloween, as part of a Skull and Bones ritual, or for another event entirely? Or was the Club of 1976 photograph perhaps intended as a parody of Skull and Bones’ long tradition of highly choreographed group portraits, such as this earlier image from the Club of 1948 featuring a future President of the United States? The earliest known Bones delegation photograph I could locate dates to 1861, suggesting that the tradition of formal delegation portraits extends back well into the society’s nineteenth-century history.

Why do only 13 of the 15 members appear?

Two members of the delegation are absent. A 14th Bonesman, the son of Indian diplomats who may be the first known South Asian tapped to a Yale secret society, has dedicated his life to helping India’s poorest communities. He graciously emailed, “I am one of the two missing from the photo. I regret looking back on my not being part of this glorious photo. I have no memory of why I was absent.

What about the 15th Bonesman? Perhaps he was behind the camera, preparing for an athletic competition, attending another campus event, studying for an exam—or simply chose not to participate in a photograph that may itself have been poking fun at a longstanding Skull and Bones tradition. For now, the reason for his absence remains another part of the mystery.

What was the context of the costumes?

Several costumes appear theatrical or historical in nature. One individual appears to be wearing what may be blackface makeup. And, for reasons lost to history, one member appears to have given the photographer a little more than was requested.

Understanding the context of these costumes and portrayals—and how they would have been understood within Yale and Skull and Bones during the mid-1970s—remains an important unanswered question. Were they part of a particular event, an inside joke, a parody, or something else entirely? Historical context is essential to interpreting the photograph accurately.

Research Continues

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project has been hearing from Yale alumni and others willing to share memories and documentation. Historical mysteries are rarely solved by one person; they are pieced together through the recollections and records of many.

If you were a member of the Yale community during the mid-1970s, recognize this photograph, or can shed light on its date, purpose, or participants, I would be grateful to hear from you. Every additional piece of evidence helps build a more complete and accurate historical record.

I would also welcome a copy of the official, choreographed Skull and Bones Club of 1976 delegation portrait to include here for comparison.

Of the Skull and Bones photographs I have encountered, the formal 1948 delegation portrait featuring future President George H. W. Bush is perhaps the most iconic. The 1976 photograph examined here may be the most provocative. As Skull and Bones approaches its 200th anniversary in 2032, the striking contrast between these two images—separated by less than three decades—offers a remarkable visual record of the society, Yale, and a changing American culture.

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Ravi D. Goel, MD collects historical documents as a hobby. He has donated manuscripts and collections to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Amherst College, Dickinson College, Forest History Society, Harvard University, Minnesota Historical Society, Princeton University, Yale University, and YIVO Institute. Collection highlights are described here.