
Physician, Surgeon
The Skull and Bones Society at Yale University included many prominent members who supported the development of racist anthropological theories.

What: A secret society at Yale University that supported and promoted racial pseudoscience.
When: Founded in 1832
Details: The Skull and Bones Society at Yale University included many prominent members who supported the development of racist anthropological theories. These members, influenced by the prevailing scientific racism of the time, conducted and funded studies that sought to prove the superiority of the white race. Their work contributed to the spread of eugenics and other pseudoscientific racial theories.
Why and How It Was Racist: The Skull and Bones Society's promotion of racial pseudoscience provided a veneer of intellectual legitimacy to racist ideologies. This perpetuated discrimination and reinforced social hierarchies based on race.
Sources:
Websites
Benjamin Rush. University Archives and Records Center. (2018, September 6). https://archives.upenn.edu/exhibits/penn-people/biography/benjamin-rush/
Horowitch, R. (2024, January 11). Skull and bones and equity and Inclusion. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/yale-skull-and-bones-secret-societies-diversity/677030/morton%E2%80%AF