From Harper’s Weekley, February 7, 1874
THE SECRET SOCIETY SYSTEM of Yale College is a peculiar characteristic of that institution, and is so prominent a feature there that it is quite as much talked about as the college curriculum itself. Whether this be an advantage or the reverse is a question which may of course be argued either way. The society system at Yale is different from that which prevails at any other institution of learning in this feature, that there are no societies — except in the scientific school — which run through the entire course, but the societies change with each succeeding year. After Freshman year the members of the next year’s society are elected by the class above, and is the number is necessarily limited, a society election is one of the coveted boners. Every college in the land has its secret societies — even Harvard cannot deprive them of in existence within its halls. But at all the other colleges and universities except Yale the Freshmen are elected soon after entering, and remain active members of the organization during the entire four years.
Beginning, then, with the societies of Freshmen year, we find three such societies now in existence at Yale. As with the organizations in the two succeeding classes, these societies are known and designated by letters of the Greek alphabet, the letters selected being the initial letters of the secret motto of the society. They are known as Delta Kappa (ΔΚ), founded in 1845; Kappa Sigma Epsilon, or “Sigma Fps” (ΚΣΕ), founded in 1840; and Gamma Nu (ΓΝ), a sort of half-and-half secret society, founded in 1855, A fourth society, Sigma Delta (ΣΔ), founded in 1849, expired in 1860. A Freshman on entering college has an opportunity to join either one of these three societies, and if he has friends in an upper class, is pretty sure to join whichever one they may recommend. The rivalry between the societies is solely one of numbers, and many interesting and humorous stories of the influences used to induce a would-be Freshman to join one or the other of the two first-named might be repeated ad libitum, Zealous Sophomores have paid hotel bills, driven in hired carriages all around the city, carried carpet-bags, and furnished With an unlimited supply of cigars, wine, and suppers, Freshmen whom they wished to secure for their organization, only to fie mortified in the end by the discovery that the Freshman was already pledged to the rival organization, or was a smooth-faced graduate of many years’ standing. The society meetings in this year are held on Saturday nights, breaking up at midnight, and the exercises, are of a literary character, sometimes varied by a dramatic entertainment. Despite the popular belief to the contrary, not a drop of wine is allowed within any society hall in college, and this rule, we have been informed on good authority, is seldom if ever violated. “Sigma Eps” has one chapter or branch at Dartmouth College; Delta Kappa has one at Amherst as well as one at Dartmouth; Gamma Nu has no chapters, and is a weak society at the best. All told, the first named society has had about 1600 members, the second about 1900, and the third 400. An allusion to these societies would not be complete without a reference to their initiations, which are known of and cited throughout the country as illustrations of pandemonium broken loose. Until 1869 they were very rough in character, and often resulted in serious injury to some of their victims; but since then a professor has been present during the sports, to interfere in case they are carried too far. Tossing in a blanket, rolling in a wheel, stowing away in a coffin, sitting, suddenly in a tub of ice, or put under a guillotine, where the knife is arrested within a few inches of the victim’s nose, and members yelling, blowing horns, burning phosphorus, and masked as skeletons and demons-these are what a candidate has to pass through before being invested with the dignity of membership.
The Sophomore societies are now mere stepping-stones to a Junior organization, and are almost entirely of a social character. They are at present two in number — Delta Beta Chi (ΔΒΧ), and Phi Theta Psi (ΦΘΨ) — and have each from thirty to thirty-five members. In a class of ordinary size this leaves about half the members out in the cold. The first Sophomore society I was established in 1838, and was known as Kappa Sigma Theta, and flourished until 1858. Alpha Sigma Phi was established in 1846; and was-broken up in 1864 by the faculty, and from its ashes sprang the two organizations already mentioned. All the college societies have rooms of their own, guarded by ponderous iron doors, and furnished, so report says, elaborately and elegantly. They are in Sophomore year more like jolly, free-and-easy clubs than any thing else, having of course their grips and pass-words, but beyond an occasional dramatic entertainment the literary feature of the Freshmen societies has disappeared.
In Junior year there are three -societies, two of which own handsome buildings of their own, illustrations of which accompany this article. Alpha Delta Phi, founded in 1832 at Hamilton College, is the weak member of the triad, its chapter at, Yale, which was established in 1836, ranking the lowest in the college estimation. It has twenty-two chapters in the different colleges throughout the Union, and numbered 3650 members all told when its last catalogue was issued. Among its prominent members may be cited D. G. MITCHELL (‘Ilk Marvel”), W. L. KINGSLEY (editor of the New Englander), General DICK TAYLOR, President D. C. GILMAN (of the California University), G. W. SMALLET, Governor DENNISON (of Ohio), and Senator PUGH, HORACE MAYNARD, Dr. STORRS, J. R. LOWELL, Rev. E. E. HALE, MANTON MARBLE, and others, while the late Chief Justice CHASE, Rev. H. W. BEECHER, and CASSIUS M. CLAY are among its honorary members. This society has no hall of its own at Yale.
The society of Psi Upsilon is one of the best-known of college societies; it was founded at Union College in 1833, and established a chapter at Yale in 1838 ; has now fifteen chapters, and a roll of membership with about 3500 names. Among its members are Senator FERRY, DWIGHT Foster, ANDREW D. WHITE, CHAUNCEY M. Depew, F. W. SEWARD, GALUSHA A. GROW, Amos F. AKERMAN and a host of other equally well-known names. It owns a beautiful hall on High Street, with a front of twenty-six feet and a depth of sixty-six feet. The material is red pressed brick, inlaid with ornamental work in black, and it has a Mansard-roof. Inside is a fine theatre or exhibition-hall and several other rooms. The cost of the property was about $15,000.
The other Junior society is that of Delta Kappa Epsilon, founded at Yale in 1.844. It has now no less than thirty-eight chapters and nearly 5000 members. Among them are CHARLTON F. LEWIS, Major-General SWAYNE, Professor NORTHROP, J. H. DRUMMOND, General F. A. WALKER, J. Q. ADAMS, Jun.; find among its honorary members General BURNSIDE, SCHUYLER COLFAX, BAYARD TAYLOR, and others. Its hall is on York Street, and was built in 1861 of red brick, and has a front of twenty-four feet six inches, with a depth of forty-five feet, and the property is valued now at about $10,000.
Last, though by no means least, come the Senior societies, two in number, whose mysteries are “deep, dark, unfathomable,” and an election to either of which is one of the coveted college honors. Skull and Bones, and Scroll and Key are the euphonious names by which these two organizations are known to the college world. Of the two the first-named is also first in position and in honor. Not much is known about its origin, except that it is supposed to have been founded in 1933. It takes each year fifteen new members, who are claimed to be the most prominent in their respective class either as scholars, literary men, or social companions. Its hall is on High Street near Chapel and is a grim-looking, windowless, tomb-like structure, built of brown sandstone, and with a front of thirty-five and a depth of forty-four feet. It stands in a lot forty by seventy, and the value of the property is estimated at $30,000.
Scroll and Key was founded in 1841, and it also takes fifteen new members every year. Its hall is undoubtedly the handsomest college society structure in the United States, and it stands on the corner of College and Wall streets. It has a front of thirty-six feet, with a depth of fifty-five feet, in a lot forty-eight by ninety-two, and the light yellow Cleveland stone is the chief material of which it is composed. This is set off by thin layers of dark blue marble, while four pillars of Aberdeen granite with marble cappings sustain the three projecting arches in front. The value of the entire property can not be less than $50,000.
Among the prominent members of the Skull and Bones Society are found the names of W. M.. EVARTS, Colonel H. C. DEMING, General W. H. RUSSELL, Professor THACHER, Professor SILLIMAN, Professor HOPPIN, Rev. Dr. THOMPSON, Senator FERRY, D. G. MITCHELL, H. B. HARRISON, ANDREW D. WHITE, C. M. DEPEW, E. R. SILL, General CROXTON, and others. Among the notable members of Scroll and Key are General RUNYON, S. F. MORSE, General SWAYNE, Professor EATON, and W. R. BACON.
So far we have sketched the history of the societies of the academic department. Two more remain, Phi Beta Kappa, which is represented in every college, and has for its members the leading scholars in every class, and Chi Delta Theta, a revived society, which formerly comprised the leading literary men, and now is confined to the five editors of the Yale Literary Magazine. The Sheffield. Scientific School has also several secret societies, but the school itself is too young for them to have any history.
In leaving the subject of secret societies of Yale, much of course remains unsaid as not being pertinent to the limits of a newspaper article. College politics are kept alive in all their intricacies by the societies, which represent in that respect the parties of the outside world. Friendships are formed in them which last through life, and the old graduate finds an old familiar spot in his society hall when he returns to his alma mater and meets none but strange faces and new buildings about him. ‘The secret societies form the college life, and their existence is apparently assured. They
“Mask their business from the common eye;”
but even if their doings were open to public inspection, but little would be revealed not already known or surmised. And as to their existence, they believe in
“Giving it an understanding, but no tongue.”
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