Fact-check: Is 17-Year-Old Dorothy Jean Tillman the Youngest PhD Holder Ever?

Fact-check: Is 17-Year-Old Dorothy Jean Tillman the Youngest PhD Holder Ever?

A viral claim has been circulating on a mainstream media, and social media platforms, alleging that 17-year-old Dorothy Jean Tillman is Youngest PhD Holder Ever.

The accompanying text reads: “Meet Chicago teenager Dorothy Jean Tillman, who has become the youngest person to obtain a PhD Doctorate at 17.

This viral claim has generated intense debate and curiosity online, with many questioning how this feat was achieved.

PRNigeria‘s fact-check team discovers that multiple local and international media outlets published a similar report between May  2024.

Similarly, the investigation further reveals that in 2020, Dorothy Jean Tillman claimed to have earned a Master of Science degree, and remarkably, just one year later, at the age of 15, she was accepted into the Doctor of Behavioral Health Management program at Arizona State University.

Likewise, PRNigeria‘s fact-check team found that Arizona State University’s official website confirms that Dorothy Jean Tillman earned her doctorate in December at the age of 17 and participated in the spring commencement ceremonies at the age of 18, as reported on ASU’s website news page.

According to ASU’s website, Dorothy Jean Tillman walked at the spring commencement ceremony on May 6, 2024, at the age of 18.

However, PRNigeria fact-check findings reveal that while Dorothy Jean Tillman did earn her doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions in December 2023, at the age of 17, she is not the youngest PhD holder.

Further checks reveal that Karl Witte occupied the top spot among the 10 youngest people to earn their Doctorates.

At age 13, Karl was the youngest PhD holder, having received his doctorate from the University of Giessen, Germany, on April 10, 1814.:

While Dorothy Jean Tillman’s achievement is indeed remarkable, she is not the youngest PhD holder ever as claimed. Karl Witte holds the record for being the youngest PhD recipient. PRNigeria‘s fact-check team verified Dorothy Jean Tillman’s achievement through Arizona State University’s (ASU) official website. However, due to the lack of internet records at the time, the team could not confirm Karl Witte’s record on the German university’s website. Nonetheless, Karl Witte’s achievement remains the earliest recorded instance of a young PhD holder.

Conclusion

Following a thorough fact-checking process, PRNigeria‘s team found that while Dorothy Jean Tillman is indeed a young PhD holder from Arizona State University, she is not the youngest as claimed. The record for the youngest PhD recipient remains with Karl Witte, who achieved this feat at an astonishing 13 years old. 

Therefore, PRNigeria concludes that the claim suggesting 17-year-old Dorothy Jean Tillman is the youngest person to ever obtain a PhD is inaccurate and misleading.

By PRNigeria