A Theft of Privilege: Harvard and the Buried History of a Notorious Secret Society

In the early hours of May 21, 1905, a wealthy and socially prominent Harvard senior named Benjamin Joy was arrested as an accomplice in the theft of a bronze plaque from the Philips Brooks House. The theft was one in a long history of "stunts" perpetrated by a Harvard Secret Society known as the Med. Fac., its members taken from the most prestigious of the Harvard clubs and representing the elite of New England Society. Amid an uproar with accusations of "social pull," a highly controversial bargain spared Joy from expulsion in exchange for the Society disbanding and surrendering all records and trophies to Harvard. Or so it seemed. Graduate members whose college misdeeds were at risk of exposure obstructed the delivery of the materials for thiry-five years, and then the records remained under seal and buried in the Harvard Archives for nearly another four decades. In this fascinating tale of social privilege and deceit, the secrets of the Med. Fac. are finally revealed!