Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in New York City to Fred Trump, a real-estate developer, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, a Scottish immigrant. He grew up in a strict home and developed a rebellious, confident personality from an early age. At five, he went to Kew-Forest School, where he enjoyed many sports, especially baseball, and later was sent to the New York Military Academy after he was caught sneaking into Manhattan to buy knives. After graduating in 1964, he studied economics at Fordham University, where he eventually benefited from draft deferments due to his school enrollment. He then transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to build a bigger business network and focused mainly on his studies. He graduated from Wharton in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Jamaica, Queens, New York. His mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, had immigrated from Scotland and worked in New York before becoming a homemaker, while his father, Frederick Christ Trump, became more prominent in real estate and strongly influenced Trump with messages about being a “king” and a “killer.” The family lived in modest beginnings before moving in 1948 to a larger home, and their household was strict, with curfews and rules like avoiding swearing; children who broke rules faced punishments. At age three, Trump attended Carousel Pre-School in Jamaica Estates, where he was described as outgoing and social. He later enrolled in Kew-Forest, a more strict private school, and was known for disruptive mischief, detentions, and a story about giving a teacher a black eye that others could not confirm. At home and church he continued to act boldly, while in school he also excelled in sports despite slipping grades, especially baseball, and he carried out small jobs like delivering newspapers and collecting bottles. With friends, he sometimes took subway trips to buy prank items and played games involving toy weapons, an interest that began after seeing West Side Story. After his father discovered Trump’s knife collection and adventures, he sent him to New York Military Academy in 1959. At NYMA, Theodore Dobias used harsh and violent discipline, and Trump struggled to fit in but did well at hygiene and academics, making the honor roll for most years. Trump also played varsity sports, held cadet ranks, and was involved in punishments and hazing incidents; by his senior year he became a company captain and led a drill team for a parade, then graduated in 1964 and later worked for his father while the Vietnam War draft began to intensify. After NYMA, Trump decided to attend Fordham University in the Bronx instead of USC, mainly because it was close to his parents. His father had wanted him to go to Wharton, and Trump’s family involvement helped him get into Fordham, where he commuted and studied economics. While at Fordham he joined the squash team, played golf (sometimes skipping class), tried football but quit after injuring his ankle, participated in tennis, worked on his father’s business, and then left the ROTC program when the Vietnam War worsened. He was pressured to perform well academically, though he did not make the dean’s list as a freshman.

Featured Article Quiz #158