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), little was known beyond the fact that it depicted members of a 1970s Skull and Bones delegation posing in costume. The identities of the individuals, the date of the photograph, and the occasion all remained uncertain. My goal was to document what could be learned from available evidence and to invite those with firsthand knowledge to help fill in the gaps.
That effort has produced significant results.
The Delegation Appears to be the Skull and Bones Club of 1976
The first major breakthrough came from the original Reddit poster who had shared the photograph online at least eight years earlier. He identified one of the men in the image as his father, a member of Skull and Bones. In at least one of many Reddit posts, he listed his father’s delegation year as 1974.
When I sent the poster a list of 1974 Bonesmen (easily found online and in an October 1983 Bones 322 catalogue I own), he stated that his father was not among the 1974 Bones Club. He then shared his father’s name. In the Bones catalogue, the father is listed as a member of the Skull and Bones 1976 Delegation. This was coincidentally the US Bicentennial and Yale’s 275th anniversary year.
Independently, a 1960s Patriarch Bonesman, after initially denying the validity of the photo in a 700+ word, 9-point detailed email to the Yale Library, acknowledged that a 1976 group photograph displayed in the Bones Temple does in fact depict the same delegation, providing an important point of corroboration.
From there, the remaining individuals could be compared with publicly available photographs from alumni publications, professional biographies, obituaries, LinkedIn profiles, Facebook pages, and other online sources. Taken together, these comparisons strongly support the conclusion that the photograph depicts the Skull and Bones Club of 1976.
The 1976 delegation includes Robert William Blattner (1955 – 2023), the tall Yale champion swimmer standing next to the grandfather clock on the right. 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 Bonesman 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.”
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 Yale publications—should provide additional confirmation.
Historical Questions That Remain
Although the identities of the delegation now appear largely resolved, several important historical questions remain.
When was the photograph taken?
I would estimate that the image dates to Thursday, October 30, 1975 or Friday October 31, 1975, but that has not yet been confirmed. 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.
What occasion does it commemorate?
Was it taken for Halloween, a Skull and Bones ritual, or another event entirely?
Why do only 13 of the 15 members appear?
Two members of the delegation are absent. Whether this was by chance, scheduling, or another reason remains unknown. Perhaps a 14th Bonesman is the one who clicked the photo. A 15th Bonesman, a student from India, could possibly have been celebrating the first day of Diwali that night and was off-site (unless he’s “Little Devil” with head turned in front of the grandfather clock or next to the swim team captain).
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. Understanding the historical context of that portrayal—and how it was viewed within Yale and Skull and Bones during the mid-1970s—remains an important unanswered question. Historical context is essential for accurately interpreting the photograph.
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.
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.
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