Guide Note

Upon his death in 1911, Hungarian-American journalist and publisher Joseph Pulitzer bequeathed a portion of his estate to Columbia University in order to establish a journalism school as well as the Pulitzer Prize. Recognized as one of the highest awards in journalism, literature and music, the Pulitzer Prize is awarded annually in 21 categories. Although an individual may be named within the citation, the Public Service prize is awarded to a newspaper and is the only prize to receive a gold medal. Winners of the other 20 categories receive a $10,000 cash award and a certificate. ¹

Fast Facts

1. Joseph Pulitzer bequeathed a portion of his estate to Columbia University in order to establish a journalism school as well as the Pulitzer Prize¹
2. 1912: Columbia School of Journalism was founded
3. Sculptor Daniel Chester French and his associate Henry Augustus Lukeman designed the gold medal awarded to the Public Service prize winner ¹
4. Since 1984, the award ceremony has been held annually during a May luncheon at Columbia University with prize winners receiving their awards from the president¹
5. 102 judges serve on 20 separate juries and are asked to make three nominations in each of the 21 categories¹
6. The three finalists in each category are the only entries in the competition that are recognized by the Pulitzer office as nominees.
7. What defines a work as “distinguished” is determined by the Nominating Juries and The Pulitzer Prize Board¹
8. There are currently 21 categories of Pulitzer Prizes

1. The only U.S. President to win, John F. Kennedy was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book Profiles in Courage
2. Bob Dylan (Special Citation-Music: 2008)
3. Roger Ebert (Criticism: 1975)
4. Duke Ellington (Special Citation-Music: 1999)
5. Ernest Hemingway (Fiction: 1953)
6. Wynton Marsalis (Music: 1997)
7. Toni Morrison (Fiction: 1988)
8. Stephen Sondheim (Drama: 1985)
9. Eudora Welty (Fiction: 1973)

1. Robert Frost (Poetry: 1924, 1931, 1937 and 1943; Autobiography: 1971)
2. Eugene O'Neill (Drama: 1920, 1922, 1928 and 1957)
3. Edward Albee (Drama: 1967, 1975 and 1994)
4. Thornton Wilder (Novel/Fiction: 1928; Drama: 1938 and 1943)
5. William Faulkner (Fiction: 1955 and 1963)
6. David McCullough (Biography: 1993 and 2002)
7. Arthur Miller (Drama: 1949; Music: 1962)
8. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein (Drama: 1950 and Special Awards and Citations- Letters: 1944)
9. Booth Tarkington (Novel/Fiction: 1919 and 1922)
10. John Updike (Fiction: 1982 and 1991)
11. Tennessee Williams (Drama: 1948 and 1955)
12. August Wilson (Drama: 1987 and 1990)