On December 19, 2007, Denzel Washington announced a $1 million dollar gift to Wiley College, so they could re-establish their debate team.
This movie was the first since 1979 to be allowed to film on Harvard's campus.
The famous Wiley College debate was in 1935 and actually against Southern Cal, not Harvard. The team was famous for losing only 1 out of 75 debates over a 15 year period.
The diploma hanging in Dr. James Farmer's study is an authentic copy provided to the art department by Boston University archivist Kara Jackman.
Denzel Whitaker, who plays Forest Whitaker's character's son, is not related to him or Denzel Washington. But he was named after Denzel Washington.