The Skull society at WPI remains a well-guarded secret

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The Skull society at WPI remains a well-guarded secret

WORCESTER — When asked, Worcester Polytechnic Institute alumnus Chris Girouard, Class of 2013, said he’d heard of stories about a secret society on campus connected to a small stone building, but that may be all they are, stories.

It’s called the

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and as Girouard describes it, “a little building at the base of the hill near the library.”

As for the secret society, he said he sometimes “saw a bunch of

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near the building,” but said that sort of thing was common on campus during his time in Worcester.

The small stone building, constructed in the 1880s, was originally meant to house WPI’s electromagnetic laboratory, before the school’s newspaper moved in around the turn of the 20th century.

According to WPI, the building was used by one of its most famous alumni,

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, the father of modern rocketry.

After graduating from WPI, Goddard worked in the school’s physics department for two years, before moving onto advanced study at Clark University. It was during this time that he continued experimenting on campus.

Plaque on the Skull Tomb at WPI.

“Legend has it that while using a lab in Salisbury, explosions caused some damage, and he was then moved to the Magnetic Lab (now Skull Tomb). Even here, neighbors complained of hearing loud noises,” the school wrote on its website.

That’s not the only legend surrounding the building, according to some, the building represents the remnants of a secret society on campus.

The society known as WPI’s Skull Senior Society, or the “skull,” was founded in 1911 and moved into the small building in 1921, which gave the building its current name of Skull Tomb.

The society is just one of the school’s nearly 200 organizations, including a men’s glee club, a theater group and more than a dozen fraternities and sororities.

According to WPI, juniors are nominated to become members of the society, composed of

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.

According to a

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dated Nov. 15, 1998, there are three main goals of the Skull Senior Honor Society. First, members are tasked with preserving the history and traditions of WPI, “by way of reenacting certain events that have occurred throughout the school’s history.” Second, members should act as “a sounding board for student ideas and concerns.” And last but not least, members should aim to bring together different groups on campus to support the unified mission of WPI.

However, when asked, the school said it did not have anyone who could speak about the society.

The online community wasn’t helpful either, with simple responses like “it’s a secret.”

While the society no longer uses the stone building, it remains a reminder for students.

Maya, a junior, who did not wish to give her last name, was out in front of the school working on a project with classmates. She explained she was testing out a hypothesis regarding an ancient dodecahedron as a surveying device. As for the secret society, it’s no secret, she said.

“During freshman orientation we do a bridge crossing,” she said. “Then when you graduate, you cross back over the bridge. I remember seeing some of the Skull wearing cloaks as they cross back over the bridge.”

Pointing to the small stone building, Maya said she’s never seen anyone go in or out. It’s clear it remains locked and boarded up.

“The way people talk about them (the Skull society), they’ve got to exist,” she said with a laugh. “Or they at least want to you think they exist.”

The Museum of Worcester had a similar response, and admitted it has nothing within its archives except speculation.

In a

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with more than 9,000 members, there are several discussions spanning decades regarding the secret society and the small stone building, the legends and other rumors on campus. Some believe there is a small hatch within the Skull Tomb that leads to a tunnel system under the campus and ultimately into the “

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.”

When it comes to getting into the society, there are several stories about stealing a bronze goat sculpture to increase the likelihood of membership, and even the existence of other secret societies at WPI: Gilded *****, ****** Gavels, and Phoenix.

“You’ll be expelled if you’re caught in the steam tunnels that don’t exist,” one redditor wrote.

“If you step on the seal in the quad, it’ll take you more than four years to graduate,” another joked.

As for the quad itself, the Centennial Walkway decorates the school’s campus floor with bricks dedicated to those who have left their mark on the school. Many of the bricks identify members of the Skull society with pride, proof the society is alive, well and excellent at keeping secrets.

T&G engagement editor Sarah Barnacle is getting to know Central Mass. by exploring some of the best places to go and things to do in Worcester County. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email *****@*****.tld.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette:

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