If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you realize it’s logistically impossible to believe Frank Abagnale’s story. This is because he never worked as a doctor, a lawyer, or a professor from the age of 17 to 21. Why? Because he was sitting behind bars most of the time. But damn, it’s a great story. I almost want to believe it myself.
“At the age of 18, I was employed on salary as the chief resident pediatrician over Georgia hospital, where I practiced medicine for over a year. I would’ve been a gynecologist, but at 18, I didn’t know any better.”
– Frank William Abagnale, Jr.
Was Frank Abagnale a doctor?
Was Frank Abagnale a doctor?
According to Frank Abagnale’s autobiography, he fell into the role of doctor by accident.
One day while wandering the halls, the hospital administrator called Frank over and asked Abagnale for a flavor. The doctor who supervised the overnight shift had a death in the family, and they needed someone to fill in for the next ten days, and he couldn’t find anyone to fill the position.
The hospital administrator assured Abagnale that he wouldn’t have to do anything. He just needed to be around to satisfy state requirements. Those 10 days covering the overnight shift turned into a month and that month turned into a year.
And just like that, Frank Abagnale, an 18-year-old boy, was in charge of seven medical interns and 40 nurses at Cobb County General Hospital in Georgia. Frank Abagnale says that wearing that white lab coat gave him the same pleasure he experienced while dressing up as a pilot.
“At the age of 19, having never been to law school in my life, I took the state bar in Louisiana. I passed it at 19 years. And before my birthday, I was appointed to the attorney general staff, where I practiced law for a year until I was 20.”
– Frank William Abagnale, Jr.
Jack P. F. Gremillion was the Attorney General of Louisiana from 1956 to 1972. According to Abagnale lore, Gremillion was so impressed by the con man that he encouraged Abagnale to pass the Louisiana bar exam and join his staff. But, of course, this is all a lie. We have no record of Abagnale ever working for Gremillion.
Was Frank Abagnale a professor?
Was Frank Abagnale a professor?
“At the age of 20, I was a college professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. I taught two full semesters there as a PhD. Mormons haven’t gotten over that yet, but they’re still working on it.”
– Frank William Abagnale, Jr.
One thing is true—Frank Abagnale never graduated high school. Yet, somehow he managed to fool the airlines, a whole hospital staff, and the Louisiana state attorney General’s office. So why not also pose as a university professor?
According to legend, Abagnale read an article in the local paper about a teacher shortage at Brigham Young University. But how will this high school dropout pass as a legitimate professor?
The head of sociology at Brigham Young University told reporter Rick Perry, “We can tell you who taught here since 1975. We know who everyone was and where they are now. And this guy was not one of them. There isn’t even a remote possibility.”
