10 Public Figures Who Were Actually In Secret Societies
#10: Richard Nixon
The Order of the Red Friars Founded back in 1913, The Order of the Red Friars was a secret society at North Carolina’s Duke University. The Order disbanded in the early 1970s, but the remnants formed what is now Duke’s largest secret organization, the Trident Society. The activities of this organization remain largely unknown, but we do know that Richard Nixon was once a member. A top student, Nixon attended the Duke University School of Law and even became President of the Duke Bar Association. Owing to the intense secrecy of the club, we do not know what Nixon did inside the The Order of the Red Friars, but school records prove that he was indeed a member.
#9: Charlie Chaplin
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Stretching back to the early 18th century, Odd Fellows is an old English fraternity that eventually evolved into the more international Independent Order of Odd Fellows. This group was founded in Baltimore in 1819. Its objectives are numerous, but according to their own command, Odd Fellows “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” Several well-known individuals have been identified as members, including Charlie Chaplin, the legendary silent actor who played The Tramp in a number of classic films. To this day, the Order’s website proudly lists him as a “Notable Odd Fellow.”
#8: Henry Ford
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Freemasonry Perhaps the most famous fraternal organization in the world, Freemasonry has been around since the 14th century and has attracted some of history’s most notable names. According to its website, Freemasonry “uses building analogies to teach members how to lead productive lives that benefit the communities that they live in.” One of its most famous members was Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company and father of the assembly line. According to the Grand Lodge of New York, Ford’s time with the group dates back to 1894, when he was raised in Detroit’s Palestine Lodge No. 357. Ford took great pride in the organization, calling Masonry “the best balance wheel the United States has.”
#7: Ed Sullivan
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Knights of Columbus A legend of American television, Ed Sullivan hosted the iconic “Ed Sullivan Show” from 1948 to 1971 and was paramount in introducing The Beatles to American audiences. At the time, his introduction of the band was the most-watched program in television history, with over 70 million people watching them perform live on stage. Sullivan was a member of the Knights of Columbus, a very famous religious fraternity that promotes and funds a number of Catholic causes. Membership is limited exclusively to Catholic men, and as of 2023, over two million people call themselves active knights.
#6: Ulysses S. Grant
Independent Order of Odd Fellows As you see throughout this list, a surprising number of American Presidents were members of secret orders. Really gets those conspiracy theory juices flowing, doesn’t it? Like Charlie Chaplin, American President Ulysses S. Grant was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Grant reportedly joined the Order some time around 1852, when Julia Grant became pregnant with Ulysses Jr. This was long before Grant became the 18th President of the United States in 1869. But Grant still had affiliations with the group after he became President, and in 1869 - the year of his inauguration - he was invited to attend the Order’s 50th anniversary celebration.
#5: Babe Ruth
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Knights of Columbus Born George Herman Ruth, The Great Bambino is an American icon and one of the most famous athletes in the history of sport. Ruth won seven World Series titles and broke the home run record in 1919. He then broke his own record on three consecutive occasions, remaining the official holder for over 40 years. It wasn’t until 1961 that Roger Maris broke Ruth’s record with, suitably, 61 home runs. Ruth was raised in St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore, and the school instilled in him a lifelong devotion to Catholicism. Ruth was initiated into the Knights of Columbus and was known to be very charitable, donating large sums of money to St. Mary’s and visiting the needy in orphanages and hospitals.
#4: Thomas Jefferson
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The F.H.C. Society We return to the American presidency for Thomas Jefferson, who served as the country’s third head of state between 1801 and 1809. At age 16, Jefferson attended Virginia’s College of William & Mary, studying a number of subjects including math and philosophy. Jefferson was a very popular student, often partying, goofing around, and eventually enrolling in the school’s Flat Hat Club. This is the unofficial name of The F.H.C. Society, which was founded at the school in 1750 and is therefore the oldest collegiate secret society in America. Despite this renown, Jefferson later admitted that “it had no useful object” and only consisted of six students, including himself.
#3: Theodore Roosevelt
Various One of the most popular presidents in American history, Theodore Roosevelt was certainly a busy man. Aside from, you know, running the country, Roosevelt was also enrolled in a number of secret societies and fraternities. He was a very prominent Freemason and referenced the secret organization in a number of personal letters. When he addressed the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1902, he called Freemasonry “the place where the idea of our government was realized as far as it is humanly possible.” He was also enrolled in a lumber fraternity called the International Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo, a non-profit called Sons of the American Revolution, and The Explorers Club, a professional society centered around scientific discovery.
#2: George H.W. Bush
Skull and Bones Yale University has three main secret societies - Scroll and Key, Wolf’s Head, and Skull and Bones. Future President George H.W. Bush belonged to the last named. Established back in 1832, Skull and Bones worships a fictional goddess named Eulogia, follows time five minutes out of sync, and is known for stealing valuable keepsakes around campus. The latter practice is called “crooking” and is an important aspect of Skull and Bones culture. Bush was a Bonesman during his time at Yale and was given the nickname Magog, named after the Biblical figure mentioned in Genesis. Years later, Bush’s son George W. would also enroll in the Skull and Bones - just one of many examples of Bush following in his father’s footsteps.
#1: George Washington
Freemasonry George Washington had very close ties to Freemasonry - and these ties have continued long after death. Washington joined the Order at just 20 years old, having done so at Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 in Virginia. Also in Virginia is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, a towering building standing over 300 feet and displaying a large Masonic symbol at its base. And fun fact - when Washington was inaugurated as the country’s first president, he swore on a Bible taken from New York’s St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 1. Finally, Washington was considered for the role of Grand Master of the hypothetical Grand Lodge of the United States, but this idea was abandoned in favor of independent state lodges. So, yeah, he was closely connected. Did you know about their secret memberships? Let us know in the comments below!
