May 18, 2010: Accused of scamming Harvard

 

>> Rooney: IT'S A STORY WITH

EERIE ECHOES OF CLARK ROCK FELL

HE AND THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.

23-YEAR-OLD ADAM WHEELER OF

COURSE WAS IN MID.

SEX SUPERIOR COURT ACCUSED OF

FAKING HIS WAY INTO HARVARD

COLLEGE AND BILKING THE SCHOOL

OUT OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

PROSECUTORS SAY ADAM WHEELER'S

BUNDLE OF LIES STARTED

UNRAVELLING LAST SEPTEMBER, WHEN

HE APPLIED FOR RHODES AND

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIPS.

A HARVARD PROFESSOR CAUGHT

WHEELER PLAGIARIZING THE WORK OF

A FACULTY MEMBER.

CONFRONTED BY THE DEAN, WHEELER

DROPPED OUT AND HARVARD

OFFICIALS STARTED DIGGING IN.

>> BASED ON HIS ABRUMT DEPARTURE

FROM HARVARD, MEMBER OF THE

FACULTY LOOKED INTO THE

APPLICATION PROCESS AND MR.

WHEELER'S PREVIOUS WORK AT

HARVARD.

>> WHAT THEY FOUND WAS STUNNING,

PROSECUTORS CLAIMED.

NOT ONLY HAD WHEELER LIED ABOUT

HIS GRADES AT HARVARD, HE ALSO

LIED TO GET INTO HARVARD.

HE DIDN'T ACE THE SATs.

HE DIDN'T GO TO PHILLIP'S

ACADEMY OR M.I.T.

>> WHAT MR. WHEELER ACTUALLY DID

WAS HE SOMEHOW PRODUCED A FULL

TRANSCRIPT FROM PHILLIP'S

ACADEMY AND A TRANSCRIPT FROM

M.I.T. AND SENT THEM IN HAD

WHICH IS APPLICATION PROCESS.

>> IN FACT, WHEEL HE WENT TO BUB

LICK SCHOOL IN DELAWARE AND

BODEN COLLEGE.

WHY THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH IS A

MYSTERY.

SO IS WHY AFTER GETTING BOOTED

FROM HARVARD AND FAILING TO GET

A JOB AT McLEAN HOSPITAL HE

ALLEGEDLY TRYINGED TO TIN HIS

IVY LEAGUE ESCAPADE.

>> HE ACTUALLY TOOK THE NAME OF

THE PERSON THAT I TRIED TO GET A

JOB FROM AT McLEAN AND WROTE

HIMSELF A RECOMMENDATION FROM

THE PERSON, PUT ON HIS RESUME

THAT HE ACTUALLY HAD THAT JOB IN

McLEAN, AND THEN APPLIED TO

BROWN AND YALE.

>> Rooney: OUTSIDE COURT,

WHEELER'S LAWYER NOTED THAT HESS

CLIENT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN

GUILTY, BUT GIVEN THE SLEW OF

CHARGES WHEELER FACES, THAT MAY

BE A MATTER OF DEGREE.

JOINING ME NOW IS BOSTON COLLEGE

PROFESSOR, MARTHA BAYLESS.

DR. NANCY RAPPAPORT OF CLAIM

BRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE AND ADAM

WE LIF "GREATER BOSTON."

ADAM, YOU WERE AT COURT.

WE SAW THE SHOT OF THE PARENTS

THERE.

WHAT WAS THE BUZZ ABOUT HOW THE

KID PULLED THIS OFF.

>> WE WERE STRUCK BY THE

COMPULSIVE QUALITY OF THE HIS

ALLEGED FABRICATIONS.

IF HE HADN'T TAKEN THIS A LITTLE

BIT TOO FAR, HE COULD BE BOYCE

POISE FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL LIFE

AS A DPRAD WAIT OF HARVARD

COLLEGE WAUFL THE DOORS THAT TO

OPENS.

HE COULD HAVE PLAGIARIZED OTHER

MATERIAL FOR THE RHODES AND

FULBRIGHT BUT INSTEAD HE

PLAGIARIZED THE HARVARD

PROFESSOR.

DID HE WANT TO GET CAUGHT?

HE DID STOP LYING.

HE ALMOST SUCCEEDED.

THAT'S WHAT I FOUND STRIKING.

>> Rooney: NANCY, WE HAVE A COPY

OF THE RESUME THAT COME OUT OF

THE NEW REPUBLIC WEBSITE.

IT'S ASTOUNDING.

IT'S TOO PAGES AND THE LANGUAGE

THAT HE USES IS ARCANE AND

MEDIEVAL.

AND HE IS QUOTING ALL OF THESE

TUTOR WRITERS AND IT'S

ELABORATE.

HE -- I MEAN, HE IS GOT TO HAVE

SOME SMARTS HERE.

>> HE PUT A LOT OF ENERGY INTO

PRESENTING A FALSE SELF, AND IT

CAUGHT UP WITH HIM.

>> Rooney: BUT WHY?

WHAT'S SOMEBODY -- WHAT'S GOING

ON HERE?

I MEAN, CLARK ROCKEFELLER.

IT'S SIMILAR IN A WAY.

LIVING AN EXISTENCE THAT YOU ARE

NOT.

>> IT'S PARTLY THE IDEA OF

PRESENTING A FAKE PERSON,

BECAUSE I MEAN, I CAN'T -- I

NEVER INTERVIEWED HIM.

I HAVE NO SENSE OF WHO HE IS,

BUT THAT KIND OF PERSON HAS NO

REMORSE, AND IT'S GAME.

IT'S A GAME OF MANIPULATION.

IT HAS AN APPEAL TO IT, AND YOU

KNOW, NOW HE'S FACING THE

NATURAL CONSEQUENCES OF -- YOU

KNOW, IT'S A PACK OF CARDS.

YOU START PEELING AWAY THE

LAYER, BUT FOR A WHILE, AND

PARTLY WHAT IS SO APPEALING TO

US IS HE PULLED IT OFF.

>> Rooney: YEAH.

YOU'RE ALMOST ROOTING FOR HIM.

>> HE IS A WHEELER DEALER.

THIS IS A BAD PUN.

HE MADE US THINK THAT YOU KNOW,

THAT HE WAS SOMEONE HE WASN'T.

AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT

DOING INDIVIDUAL THERAPY WITH

HIM WOULD BE THAT MUCH FUN, TO

TELL YOU THE TRUTH.

I DON'T THINK WE WOULD GET THAT

FAR WITH HIM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU

ARE TALKING WITH SOMEONE TRYING

TO DO EXPLORATORY WORK, YOU HAVE

TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE'S

GENUINE, AND IN THIS SITUATION,

MY CONCERN WOULD BE THAT YOU

WERE SOMEHOW BEING EMPATHIC,

TRYING TO CONNECT, TELL ME ABOUT

WHAT YOUR BED SENSE OF SELF WAS,

AND -- YOUR BAD SENSE OF SELF

WAS AND I THINK HE HAS A LOT TO

LEARN AT THIS POINT IN THE ROAD

BECAUSE HE IS HAVING THE

DISCOVERY THAT HE'S NOT WHAT HE

SAID HE WAS.

AND NOW HE HAS TO REBUILD.

>> Rooney: AND ON MANY LEVELS

HERE, THIS SHOCKED US

THAT -- FOR ONE THING, JUST THAT

A COLLEGE, THE ESTEEMED LEVEL OF

ANY ONE OF THEM, BODEN, M.I.T.

OR HARVARD, ANYONE WHO HAD ANY

-- ACTUALLY, M.I.T. HAD NO

CONNECTION WITH HIM, BUT -- THEY

DIDN'T CATCH THIS EARLIER.

THEY DIDN'T -- HOW DOES SOMEBODY

PULL A TRANSCRIPT OFF AFTER

SCHOOL THAT HE DEPARTMENT GO TO,

AND A LOT OF -- SATs ARE OFTEN

SENT ELECTRONICALLY.

THIS WAS AN ELABORATE SCHEME

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU

FAKE AN SAT SCORE.

RN I DON'T KNOW EITHER.

>> THAT WILL PROBABLY COME OUT

AND THEY'LL HAVE TO CHANGE IT AT

THE SAT.

>> Rooney: YEAH.

>> YOU MENTIONED M.I. IT T.

THERE WAS A DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

AT M.I.T. WHO HAD TO RESIGN

BECAUSE SHE FAKED HER DEGREES

WHEN SHE ORIGINALLY GOT THE JOB

28 YEARS AGO.

>> Rooney: SHE WAS IN

ADMISSIONS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SHE WAS THE DEAN OF ADMISSIONS.

BUT THAT'S ASIDE, I THINK ONE

THING THAT WE'RE SHOCKED BY HERE

IS THAT YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN

THE MERITOCRACY.

WE BELIEVE IF YOU STUDY HARD

ENOUGH AND WORK HARD ENOUGH YOU

CAN GET INTO A GOOD SCHOOL AND

THE SYSTEM IS A FAIR ONE.

WHEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY GAINING

THE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY THAT

SYSTEM WHICH IS A KEY TO PEOPLE

GETTING AHEAD AND PEOPLE

SUCCEED, IMMIGRANTS COME TO

AMERICA BELIEVING IN THIS

SYSTEM, THAT SOMEHOW IT'S

BASICALLY FAIR AND HARD WORK AND

HARD STUDY AND SMARTS WILL GET

YOU AHEAD, IT'S REALLY

UNSETTLING TO SEE HOW EASY IT IS

TO GAME THE SYSTEM.

>> Rooney: AND THE OTHER THING

IS, IT MAKES YOU FEEL --

COLLEGE, WELL, WE DON'T PUT THAT

MUCH STOCK IN SAT SCORES AND

GRADES.

I MEAN, THAT'S SO MUCH FOR THAT.

THIS KID ON PAPER IS THE PERFECT

CANDIDATE, AND THAT'S WHY THEY

ACCEPTED HIM.

>> WELL, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO

IT, THOUGH, WHICH IS THAT WE

ALSO ADMIRE PEOPLE WHO MAKE FUN

OF AND --

>> Rooney: TRUE.

>> AND FLOUT THE RULES OF

BUREAUCRACY.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,

HIGHER EDUCATION IS GETTING MORE

AND MORE BUREAUCRATIZED.

THERE'S A SNEAKING SATISFACTION

THAT YOU SEE THIS VERY

BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM OF

CREDENTIALING AND HIGHER

EDUCATION THAT SOMEBODY CAN GAME

THAT SYSTEM, BECAUSE I THINK A

LOT OF PEOPLE RESENT IT.

>> Rooney: I WONDER READING

THROUGH THE RESUME HERE.

I HAVE TO READ ONE LINE.

>> IT'S COMICAL.

>> Rooney: IT'S HILARIOUS.

I'M WONDERING IF HE ISN'T TRYING

TO MAKE FUN AT THE SAME TIME.

HE IS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING HE

REVIEWED, THE MAPPING OF AN

IDEOLOGICAL DEMISE.

ACCORDINGLY EACH OF THE TEXTS

THAT I EXAMINED, THE TREES AND

AWARENESS OF WRITING AS A

SPATIAL ACTIVITY, IN SPACE AS A

SCRIPTED CATEGORY.

IT'S LIKE, WHAT!

THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT

THEY TALK ABOUT IN THESE

ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENTS.

HE IS MAKING FUN?

>> HE HAD A GOOD EAR FOR IT, AND

HE MAY -- HE DID-THAT IS HOW

THEY TALK, AND HE KNEW HOW TO

USE THE LINGO.

I THINK ONE OTHER THING WE HAVE

TO BE COGNIZANT OF IS ONE REASON

THIS IS A GREAT STORY IS A LOT

OF PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING SEEING

HARVARD TAKEN DOWN A NOTCH.

ALL OF US --

>> NOT ME!

>> WHO ARE -- THOSE OF US --

THOSE OF US WHO -- YOU KNOW, WHO

COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN INTO

HARVARD, THERE'S -- I THINK A

LITTLE BIT OF SHADE -- LOOK

THESE PEOPLE AT HARVARD -- WELL,

HE PUT ONE OVER ON THEM.

>> Rooney: I THINK THERE IS A

LITTLE BIT OF THAT, NANCY.

>> BUT IT'S NOT SO EASY.

WHEN YOU SAY IT'S EASY TO PULL

IT OFF.

I TEACH HARVARD FRESHMEN AND

SMART KIDS ARE USUALLY SMART.

HE HAD A KNACK FOR TWISTING

THINGS, WHAT'S FUN ABOUT READING

THAT RESUME IS IF YOU READ IT AS

A PSYCHIATRIST, THERE'S SO MUCH

DOUBLE ENTENDRE.

WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THE

IDEOLOGICAL DEMISE.

THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

>> Rooney: NOW YOU'RE TALKING IT

TOO FAR.

>> YOU WROTE A WHOLE BOOK ABOUT

GETTING LOST AND LOSING YOUR

BEARS AND BEING DISORIENT THE

WHICH HAS A LONG INVOLVED TITLE.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE

LITTLE CLUES THERE.

I THINK THAT THE WAY WE FEEL

ABOUT IT, WE DO HAVE FOLK HEROES

IN OUR CULTURE.

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.

THE GUY, THE CHARACTER WHO THEY

MADE THE FILM ABOUT, "CATCH ME

IF YOU CAN."

>> Rooney: YEAH.

>> WE IS A LIKING FOR THE CAN

MAN AND THE SCAM ARTIST.

HE IS KIND OF A FOLK HERO.

THE ONE WHO GAMES THE SYSTEM.

BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT PART OF

THE SYSTEM THEY'RE AIMING AT.

BECAUSE IF IT'S A HARVARD, IF

IT'S AN ELITE INSTITUTION THAT A

LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ENVY -- FEELS

OF ENVY AND RESENTMENT TOWARD,

THEN THERE'S A CERTAIN -- YOU

KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, BUT IF IT'S

-- IF THEY'RE GAMING -- IF

THEY'RE CHEATING THE LITTLE

GUY --

>> LITTLE GUY, OR -- YOU KNOW,

ELDERLY PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR

PENSIONS, THEN WE DON'T HAVE SO

MUCH RESPECT FOR THIS SCAM

ARTIST.

>> IN THE CASE OF CLARK

ROCKEFELLER.

HE MAY HAVE -- THERE ARE

ALLEGATIONS THAT HE MAY HAVE

BEEN INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, A

MURDER OUT IN CALIFORNIA.

SO, THEN THERE'S A DARK ELEMENT

WHEREAS HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S

A DARKNESS THERE, BUT AS YOU

SAID, IT'S LIVENED BY HIM TAKING

ON THE INSTITUTION.

>> Rooney: ADAM, YOU HAVE TO

WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE

PARENTS.

YOU HAVE ONE SHOT OF THEM IN

COURT THERE.

WAS IT YOUR IMPRESSION THEY'RE

COOPERATING WITH THE AUTHORITY?

>> IT'S HARD TO SAY.

I MEAN, THE PROSECUTION SAYS

THAT THEY HELPED BLOW THE

WHISTLE WHEN HE WAS LIVING AT

HOME AFTER LEAVING HARVARD, THAT

WHEN YALE -- I BELIEVE CONTACTED

THEM ABOUT HIS APPLICATION, THAT

THEY --

>> Rooney: THEY WERE SAY, WAIT A

SECOND.

THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT HE WAS

THROWN OUT OF HARVARD.

>> THEY MUST HAVE AT LEAST KNOWN

THAT.

>> Rooney: AND BODEN, TOO.

>> YOU HAVE PARENTS UNDER SIEGE.

YOU DO HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE THIS

KIND OF STORY, 10% OF PARENT

ALSO COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK

AND SAY, WE DID NOT KNOW AND IT

WASN'T BECAUSE WE WERE ASLEEP AT

THE WHEEL.

BUT IT MAY BE -- MAYBE IT WAS

THAT HE -- AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW

THE CASE, THIS CASE, BUT MAYBE

SOMEONE LIKE THIS WAS VERY

INVESTED IN KEEPING THEM SHUT

OUT.

>> AND THERE'S THE NATURAL

PARENTAL URGE -- YOU KNOW, YOU

-- IT'S NICE TO THINK THAT --

WELL OF YOUR CHILDREN AND IT CAN

BE APPEALING TO TURN A BLIND EYE

ON THIS.

>> Rooney: IF YOU GET CLONE

THROWN OUT OF A COLLEGE.

THE PARENTS KNOW BECAUSE --

YOU'RE NOT PAYING THE TUITION

BILLS ANYMORE.

HE WAS SUSPENDED OR THROWN OUT

OF BODEN FOR PLAGIARISM.

>> BUT GIVEN HIS ABILITY TO SNOW

THE VERY BRIGHT ADMINISTRATORS.

IT'S POSSIBLE, WE DON'T KNOW

WHAT HE SAID TO HIS PARENTS.

MAYBE HE GAVE THEM A SONG AND

DANCE.

>> Rooney: SAME THING.

>> THAT WAS SO CONVINCING THAT

THEY BOUGHT IT.

>> A LOT OF PARENTS DON'T GET

THE WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION

ANYWAY.

IT'S -- IT HAS A KIND OF COUNT

--

>> Rooney: COUNT ME A MOM!

>> THIS IS THE -- IT'S GREAT

HE'S IN THE FIELD OF LITERARY

STUDIES.

IT WAS IN THAT FIELD THAT

SOMEONE PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE A

COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN A JOURNAL

CALLED "OCTOBER" IN WHICH THEY

DISPROVED I THINK THE SERIES OF

RELATIVITY USING LITERARY

THEORETICAL DECONSTRUCTIONIST

TECHNIQUES TO SHOW THAT -- THEY

WERE DISPROVING A FUNDAMENTAL

ACCEPTED THEORY OF NATURAL

SCIENCE BY THE SAME TECHNIQUES

THAT THEY USE ON LITERATURE.

THERE'S A WONDERFUL BOOK BY A

NAME NAMED WALTER KERN WHO

WRITES A LOT OF REVIEWS FOR "THE

NEW YORK TIMES."

HE WROTE A BOOK CALLED LOST IN

THE MERITOCRACY AND HE TALKS

ABOUT BEING IN THE FIELD OF

LITERATURE AND PARROTING THE

PROIF HE WAS AND NEVER ACTUALLY

READING THE WORKS.

>> THIS IS AN EXTREME CASE.

>> Rooney: FOR THIS KID, JAIL SO

THE GOING TO CURE THIS KID.

AM I RIGHT ON THAT.

>> I DON'T WANT TO WEIGH IN ON

JAIL, BUT HE HAS A LOT OF WORK

TO DO.

AND HE -- HE IS GOT A LOT OF

DIG, BECAUSE THE WORD'S OUT NOW

THAT HE IS A FAKE.

>> IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE

DETENTION HAS BEEN KIND TO HIM.

HE DIDN'T LOOK TOO GOOD.

>> Rooney: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER BOSTON."

A REMINDER, EVERY WEEKDAY AT

NOON, TUNE IN TO THE 89.7 FOR MY

RADIO SHOW.

TOMORROW NIGHT, MORGAN FREEMAN

AND ROBERT DE NIRO CELEBRATE

BRAT THE POPS AND THE KEN DIS.

PLUS "BOSTON GLOBE" PUBLISHER,

CHRIS MAYER.

THAT'S TOMORROW AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY, GOOD NIGHT.