Donald Trump's Educational Background: From Fordham to Wharton
Donald John Trump, a prominent figure in American business and politics, has an educational background that, while often associated with the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, also includes time at Fordham University and the New York Military Academy. Understanding his academic journey provides valuable insight into the formative years of the man who would become the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
Early Life and Education
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York City, the fourth of five children of Fred Trump, a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. As a child, Trump displayed behavioral difficulties, leading his parents to enroll him at the New York Military Academy at age 13, hoping to instill discipline. He attended the academy from 1959 to 1964.
Fordham University: A Brief Stop
After graduating from the New York Military Academy, Trump enrolled at Fordham University in the Bronx in 1964. During his time at Fordham, from 1964 to 1966, he would have studied topics such as Islam, Socrates, Aristotle, and logic, according to John T. Trump also chose to attend Fordham at a historical time for the university. Joan Ann Poroski had just become one of the first women admitted to the university’s undergraduate student population, as reported by The Fordham Ram at the time.
Trump originally wanted to be a movie producer, according to Newsweek. When he was rejected from the University of Southern California, he chose to attend Fordham until he eventually decided to pursue business and transfer to the University of Pennsylvania.
However, Trump's time at Fordham was relatively short. He himself, however, did not leave “footprints” at Fordham, despite playing squash, according to President of the Fordham College Alumni Association Paul F. Trump’s days at Fordham concluded with the end of the spring 1966 semester. Today’s Fordham students expressed mixed feelings about Donald Trump’s time at the Rose Hill campus. Some students, such as Kyoka Millard, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, would rather just forget that he went there. “I feel pretty terrible about it,” she said regarding the President’s connection to the college. “I’m really proud of the fact that Fordham has kind of disavowed him and been very open about being welcome to immigrants.” Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. “Not everyone on either side is representative of the candidate as a person and no one is a representation of their whole party,” he said. “I think there’s a good reason he didn’t stay for all four years,” Renee Garrahan, FCLC ’18, said.
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Transfer to Wharton School of Finance
After two years at Fordham, Trump transferred to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in 1966, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968. “I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best,” Trump wrote in “The Art of the Deal” on his decision to transfer to Wharton. Although Trump boasted about attending Wharton, Fordham wasn’t his first choice of college, and real estate wasn’t his first choice of career either. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance, Mr. Trump followed in his father’s footsteps into the world of real estate development, making his mark in New York City.
Post-Graduation and Business Career
Upon his graduation from Wharton in 1968, Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization.
Controversies and Legal Issues
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Norfolk, Virginia, were the target of several complaints of racial discrimination against African Americans and other minority groups. Justice Department for allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the Justice Department for $100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt.
In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers. Additionally, two class actions were filed in federal court against Trump and his companies.
In 2023, Trump was found liable in civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation and for business fraud. After winning the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris, he was sentenced to a penalty-free discharge, and two felony indictments against him for retention of classified documents and obstruction of the 2020 election were dismissed without prejudice.
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Trump's Legacy
Donald Trump defines the American success story. Throughout his life he has continually set the standards of business and entrepreneurial excellence, especially in real estate, sports, and entertainment. As a candidate, Trump boasted about his high levels of debt and his ability to reduce or eliminate his income tax liability, despite his very high personal net worth.
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