Is The Great Debaters a true story?
Denzel Washington directs and stars in “The Great Debaters,” the movie based on that true story, which comes to theaters Christmas Day. Washington plays the team’s coach, the invincible Professor Melvin Tolson.
Where is The Great Debaters filmed?
Shreveport
Been there: “The Great Debaters” was filmed mostly in the Shreveport area, but it wasn’t their first time in the Bayou State for much of the cast: Denzel Washington filmed “Deja Vu” in New Orleans in 2006.
What is The Great Debaters based on?
the Wiley College debate team
The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington. It is based on an article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the spring 1997 issue of American Legacy.
How old was Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters?
Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), who, at 14 years old, was on Wiley’s debate team after completing high school (and who later went on to co-found the Congress of Racial Equality).
Did Wiley College really beat Harvard in debate?
Wiley’s debate team competed against historically black colleges and earned national attention with its 1935 debate against University of Southern California’s highly ranked debate team….Wiley College.
| Former names | Wiley University |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Billy R. Casey |
| President | Herman J. Felton Jr. |
| Provost | Howard O. Gibson |
| Students | 1,100 |
Was Tolson a communist?
Tolson was a “Communist,” “radical” or “self-described socialist.” During the 1930s, Tolson had his feet in two different worlds—one foot was in the world of the aspiring black middle class of Wiley College, and the other foot was in the world of the black dispossessed masses of the rural South.
Did Wiley College beat Harvard in debate?
A member of the 1936–39 team, Bellis also the source of the widespread rumor—now immortalized in Denzel Washington’s The Great Debaters— that Wiley College met and beat Harvard College, with Felix Frankfurter as one of the judges.
How much of The Great Debaters was true?
Three of the four debaters were fictional. The film’s writers took half of the names of authentic debaters and changed their last names. Hamilton Boswell became “Hamilton Burgess,” complete with the use of Boswell’s nickname, “Ham.” Henry Height became “Henry Lowe.” There was no woman on the team in 1935.
Does Wiley College still exist?
Overall, Wiley College remains a viable force in the academic community. The institution continues to be a leader in innovation. It was the first “Thinkpad College” west of the Mississippi River.
Does Wiley College Texas still exist?
Stay up to date on everything Wiley Wiley College is a four-year, privately-supported, historically black college/university (HBCU) located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Wiley College holds distinction as one of the oldest historically black colleges west of the Mississippi River.
Did Wiley College debate Harvard?
The most memorable Wiley College debate was not with Oxford (or Harvard). It was with the 1935 national champions, the Southern California Trojans, and it is the circumstances surrounding this debate that form the basis for The Great Debaters.
What historically black fraternity was Melvin B. Tolson a member of?
Tolson graduated with honors in 1924. He became a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.