Fact check: What did William T. Kelley say about Donald Trump as a student at Wharton?

1. Summary of the results

According to multiple sources, attorney Frank DiPrima, who claims to have been a close friend of Professor William T. Kelley for 47 years, reported that Kelley repeatedly described Donald Trump as "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had" ^[1]. This statement was allegedly repeated "100 times over three decades" by Kelley, who taught marketing at Wharton for 31 years before retiring in 1982 ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual points should be considered:

• Professor Kelley passed away in 2011 at age 94 ^[2], meaning he cannot directly confirm or deny these statements
• It is notably unusual for professors to make such disparaging remarks about students' intelligence ^[2]
• Trump apparently left little impression on his classmates at Wharton, with most not even remembering him being there ^[2]
• The professor observed that Trump arrived at Wharton with an arrogant attitude, believing he already knew everything and wasn't there to learn ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several potential biases should be considered:

• The information comes primarily from a single source (Frank DiPrima) who claims a close friendship with Professor Kelley
• The statement is being reported second-hand, as Professor Kelley is deceased and cannot verify these claims
• Political motivations could influence the sharing and amplification of these statements, either:

Those opposing Trump might benefit from spreading negative characterizations of his academic performance

Those supporting Trump might argue these are posthumously attributed statements that cannot be verified

• The timing and context of when DiPrima first shared these claims would be relevant but is not provided in the analyses

All sources consistently report the same basic narrative, but it's important to note that they may be drawing from the same original source rather than providing independent verification.