Contents
Joseph Pulitzer
Building influential newspapers and endowing the Pulitzer Prizes.
Statue of Liberty campaign · Journalism school
- Born
- 10 April 1847
- Birthplace
- Makó, Hungary
- Died
- 29 October 1911
More people
Joseph Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian-born American newspaper proprietor. His publications mixed investigative campaigns, mass-market storytelling and sensationalism, while his will funded journalism education and the prizes bearing his name.
Early life
European education
Grew up in Hungary and attended private schools.
American arrival
Came to the United States in 1864 and served in the Union cavalry.
Career
- 1868
Reporting in St Louis
Joined the German-language Westliche Post.
- 1878
Newspaper ownership
Brought papers together to establish the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- 1883
New York expansion
Bought the New York World and transformed its circulation.
Selected work
Statue of Liberty campaign
The World raised money from readers for the statue’s pedestal.
Journalism school
His bequest helped establish Columbia’s graduate journalism school after his death.
Pulitzer Prizes
The first awards were made under the terms of his will.
Beyond work
Public office
Served briefly in the US House of Representatives.
Loss of sight
Continued directing newspaper interests as his eyesight deteriorated.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Will and institutional bequest ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
