In a recent statement during a visit to Wisconsin, President Joe Biden claimed to be the first person in his family to attend college, reigniting scrutiny over a claim that has been previously debunked, including by Biden himself over 35 years ago. This assertion was made amidst discussions on his administration’s efforts to support student loan borrowers.
Historical evidence contradicts Biden’s statement. It has been documented that members of Biden’s maternal family, the Finnegans, attended college. Additionally, Biden’s father briefly attended Johns Hopkins University, as indicated by census records and a 1941 wedding announcement. Furthermore, Biden has spoken with admiration about his maternal grandfather, Ambrose Joseph Finnegan, who was a student and an “All-American football player” at Santa Clara College in California. An obituary for Finnegan also notes his enrollment and graduation from Santa Clara College.
The President’s repetition of this claim has drawn criticism and attention from various quarters, including during his 1987 presidential campaign when he first acknowledged the inaccuracies in his earlier statements amidst a plagiarism scandal. Despite this, Biden has reiterated the claim on several occasions, including during a CNN town hall in 2020.
Republicans and critics have highlighted this discrepancy, questioning the President’s narrative about his family’s educational background. In response to inquiries about this issue, a White House spokesperson emphasized that President Biden is proud to be the first Biden to graduate from college, subtly shifting the focus from attendance to graduation.
This ongoing discussion about the accuracy of Biden’s claims about his family’s educational history underscores the scrutiny public figures face regarding their personal narratives and the importance of precision in their public statements.