A Vignette: Yale 1960 ~ 65 years out. The Elephant Caper.
A handful of Yale seniors who regularly saw each other decided in early February 1960 to brighten their winter doldrums with a prank. They were tired by filling out law school applications, of being interviewed for graduate school fellowships and of holding off persistent would-be mothers-in-law.
After several jolly meetings, one of their number proposed a project of finding a noteworthy memento to decorate the simple quarters where they regularly met. It had to be something totally unique, a visual non sequitur that future generations of Yalies would marvel over and discuss for years to come.
Much time and argle-bargle was spent discussing what the appropriate trophy might be and that it would be acquired without expense to the increasingly imaginative schemers. The plan emerged to “convert or repatriate” the object, whatever it might be, from its appointed use and location. The increasingly agitated discussions began to take on larcenous tones as the grandiosity of the enterprise grew. Enhancing the levity of the discussions were several recognized Y 1960 class humorists who were part of this group of conspiratous pirates.
Popular campus signs (Mory’s or The Yale School of Nursing), a seat from Sterling Library and the like were duly considered. They were then all dismissed in turn as not being adequately impressive or memorable. In a sudden flash of inspiration one member suggested removing a stuffed infant elephant from Peabody Museum. Of course!
The scene of the deed was visited – hard to imagine: no electric alarms and no night guard – a ground floor window was left
unlatched in the afternoon during regular museum hours by one of the conspirators. That night the stuffed elephant was easily removed, by several burly Y’60 jocks, through the easily opened window and out into the snow to be spirited away in the dark to its hiding place.
Mystery: how did the University find out who was holding the elephant with in 48 hours and request immediate return, no questions?