Joseph Pulitzer Jr.: Newspaper Publisher and Prize Steward
Joseph Pulitzer III (13 May 1913 – 26 May 1993) was an American newspaperman and publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He chaired the Pulitzer Prize Board for 31 years and steered one of America’s most influential newspapers through the social upheavals of the twentieth century.
Early Life and Education
Born in St. Louis, Missouri on May 13, 1913, Pulitzer was baptized as Joseph Pulitzer III in the Episcopal Church. He later adopted the junior designation, a choice his father had made differently—his father had dropped the junior designation after the death of his own father. Pulitzer attended St. Mark’s School before going on to Harvard University.
Career and Achievements
Pulitzer took the helm of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the newspaper founded by his grandfather, the famous newsman Joseph Pulitzer. He ran the paper for 38 years, guiding it through the social and political challenges of the twentieth century while maintaining the liberal vision his grandfather had established in 1907. The Post-Dispatch was among the first newspapers to oppose the Vietnam War.
From 1955 to 1993, Pulitzer served as chairman of the Pulitzer Publishing Company. His most significant role beyond the newspaper itself came through his stewardship of the Pulitzer Prize. He chaired the Pulitzer Prize Board at Columbia University for 31 years and was the last member of the Pulitzer family to directly participate in the Prize process. Working alongside Columbia University president William J. McGill and Pulitzer Prize administrator John Hohenberg, he oversaw the board’s transition from an advisory group under Columbia trustees to the principal award-granting body in 1975. The board, established by his grandfather’s will, selects the annual prizes in journalism, books, drama, and music.
Notable Events and Milestones
In 1975, under Pulitzer’s leadership, the Pulitzer Prize Board underwent a significant structural transformation, becoming the primary authority for awarding the prizes rather than functioning as an advisory body. In 1993, Washington University in St. Louis awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws degree.
Awards and Honors
Pulitzer received an honorary doctorate of laws from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993.
Additional Resources
Beyond his role as a newspaperman and administrator, Pulitzer built a reputation as a major collector of contemporary art, assembling one of the world’s largest and finest private collections. In 2008, his second wife, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, donated 31 major works of modern and contemporary art and $45 million to the Harvard Art Museum. Between 1953 and 2005, Pulitzer and his wives had given the museum 43 additional modern and contemporary works. Pulitzer died at his home in the Central West End of St. Louis on May 26, 1993, from colon cancer at age 80. More detailed information about his life and legacy is available through Wikipedia and other biographical archives.
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