The Scroll and Key Society is a secret society that was established by John Addison Porter at Yale University, in 1841. It is one of several senior secret societies at Yale.
The founders of this society were students who were disappointed with Skull and Bones for its lack of substance and its classist tendencies. The founders modelled the society after the true spirit of merit and other such virtues that Skull and Bones professed, but failed to adhere to. Each year, fifteen members of the junior class are chosen as replacements by the society's senior members.
Tax records show that its endowment is several million dollars more than that of Skull and Bones.
A legend credits Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, probably the organization's highest profile member, with infiltrating the Tomb (headquarters of Skull and Bones) sometime in the late 1960s, and scrawling a picture of his football-helmeted character "B.D." in the guestbook.
Prominent members include:
- Cyrus Vance '39, Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter (1977-1980)
- Bart Giamatti '60, President of Yale and Commissioner of Major League Baseball
- Cole Porter '13, composer and songwriter
- Calvin Trillin '57, journalist, humorist and novelist
- Fareed Zakaria '85, Editor of Newsweek International