Pulitzer Prize

Question: Which of these languages was Joseph Pulitzer not fluent in before leaving home to fight in the American Civil War?

Answer: Joseph Pulitzer was fluent in French, Hungarian, and German before arriving in the United States. Once he arrived, he had to learn English.

Question: Who was the first person to win a Pulitzer Prize in music?

Answer: The music category was introduced in 1943, and William Schuman was the first to win for his piece Secular Cantata No. 2: A Free Song.

Question: Where was Joseph Pulitzer born?

Answer: Joseph Pulitzer was born in Makó, Hungary in 1847. He emigrated to the United States in 1864 as a result of the American Civil War draft. He enlisted as a substitute for a draftee.

Question: Which of these Pulitzer Prize winners won more than twice?

Answer: Robert Frost won four total Pulitzer Prizes, all in the Poetry category. Tuchman, Leech, and Faulkner all won two prizes each.

Question: Who designed the Pulitzer Prize gold medal?

Answer: Daniel Chester French was commissioned to design the medal in 1918. He later became famously known for his 1922 sculpture of Lincoln sitting in the Lincoln Memorial.

Question: Gwendolyn Brooks won a Pulitzer in 1950 for which book of poems?

Answer: In 1950 Gwendolyn Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her book Annie Allen. In doing so, she became the first African American to win a Pulitzer.

Question: In what year was the poetry category for the Pulitzer Prize added?

Answer: In 1922 the poetry category for the Pulitzer Prize was added, however there were special exceptions made for extraordinary poetry books in 1918 and 1919. These were originally listed as Special Citations but are now considered Poetry prizes.

Question: What year were the first Pulitzer Prizes awarded?

Answer: On June 4th, 1917, the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded: four in journalism, four in letters and drama, one in education, and four traveling scholarships.

Question: In the 1880s, Joseph Pulitzer began suffering from what?

Answer: Joseph Pulitzer struggled with a number of health problems throughout his life, and by 1889 he was almost completely blind.

Question: Joseph Pulitzer set aside money for the Pulitzer Prize in his will. His will also called for the creation of what?

Answer: Joseph Pulitzer’s will left money to be used on the creation of the Columbia University School of Journalism.

Question: Who is the only U.S. president to have won a Pulitzer Prize?

Answer: John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize in Biography in 1957 for his book Profiles in Courage.