Fact check: Did William T. Kelley actually teach Donald Trump at Wharton?

1. Summary of the results

Based on multiple sources, William T. Kelley did teach Donald Trump at Wharton during Trump's undergraduate years. Kelley taught marketing management at Wharton from 1951 to 1982 ^[1], and Trump attended the school as an undergraduate student, graduating in 1968 with a B.S. in real estate ^[1]. The timeline of their overlap at Wharton is consistently confirmed across multiple sources ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual details emerge from the analyses:

• Trump transferred to Wharton in 1966, potentially with assistance from his brother Fred Trump Jr., who had connections with James Nolan in the admissions office ^[3]
• Trump was not particularly memorable to his classmates, with many reporting they never encountered him during his time at the school ^[1]
• Frank DiPrima, a close friend of Kelley, consistently reports that Kelley described Trump as "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had" ^[2]
• Kelley reportedly viewed Trump as an arrogant student who "came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything" and showed little interest in learning ^{[3] [1]}

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The simple yes/no question about whether Kelley taught Trump omits crucial context about their relationship and the circumstances of Trump's attendance at Wharton. Several potential biases should be considered:

• Political motivations: Both Trump supporters and critics might have reasons to either emphasize or dismiss Kelley's reported opinions about Trump's academic performance
• Historical distance: The events occurred over 50 years ago, and some accounts, like DiPrima's, are second-hand recollections
• Personal relationships: The negative characterizations come primarily from Frank DiPrima, who was Kelley's friend, and might have his own biases or motivations for sharing these accounts ^[2]