Joseph Pulitzer
Born 1847 · Age 178
Hungarian-American newspaper publisher, politician, and philanthropist; owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the New York World; benefactor whose estate established the Pulitzer Prizes and funded Columbia University's journalism school.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Makó, Kingdom of Hungary
Born Pulitzer József (Joseph Pulitzer) to Fülöp Pulitzer (Politzer) and Elize (Berger) in Makó.
Family moved to Pest after father's retirement
Fülöp Pulitzer was wealthy enough to retire and moved the family to Pest; children educated by private tutors.
Father died and family went bankrupt
Fülöp Pulitzer died in 1858 and the family's business failed, leaving them impoverished.
Arrived in Boston Harbor (U.S.)
Arrived in Boston Harbor as a recruit for the Union army; spoke little English at the time.
Recruited in Hamburg to serve for the Union in the American Civil War
After being rejected by several European armies, Pulitzer was recruited in Hamburg to fight for the Union (August 1864).
Paid $200 bounty to enlist in Lincoln Cavalry
Pulitzer was paid $200 to enlist in the Lincoln Cavalry (1st New York Cavalry), though recruiters had pocketed most enlistment bounty.
Joined 1st New York Cavalry Regiment (Company L)
Joined Sheridan's troopers in Virginia in November 1864; fought in the Appomattox Campaign.
Moved to St. Louis, Missouri
After brief stays in New York and New Bedford, he traveled to St. Louis penniless and took various menial jobs.
Mustered out of Union Army
Pulitzer was mustered out on June 5, 1865 after serving in the Civil War.
Naturalized as an American citizen
Pulitzer became a naturalized U.S. citizen on March 6, 1867.
Admitted to the bar
Pulitzer was admitted to the bar in 1868 but struggled with practice due to broken English and eccentric manner.
Hired as a reporter at the Westliche Post (German-language paper)
Pulitzer began his journalism career at the Westliche Post in St. Louis; his first accepted news story was an exposé of a fake Louisiana plantation scheme.
Nominated for Missouri state legislature seat
Attended Republican meeting at St. Louis Turnhalle; nomination led to running in special election despite being under age.
Seated as Missouri State Representative (St. Louis 5th)
Won the election and took his seat January 5, 1870; served in Jefferson City and fought for Fifteenth Amendment adoption and county-court reform.
Schmidt's Hotel confrontation and shooting
Confrontation with Captain Edward Augustine in Jefferson City escalated: Pulitzer returned with a pistol; Augustine was shot in the knee and Pulitzer suffered a head wound.
Bought and resold a share of the Westliche Post (reported)
Britannica reports Pulitzer bought a share of the Westliche Post in 1871 and later resold at a profit (helping his rise).
Appointed to St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners
Appointed by Benjamin Gratz Brown after the Liberal Republican victories in Missouri (Jan 19, 1872).
Delegate to Liberal Republican National Convention (Cincinnati)
Pulitzer was a delegate to the Cincinnati convention which nominated Horace Greeley (May 1872).
Promoted the People's Party and switched to Democratic support
Led a reform movement joining the Grange with dissident Republicans but ultimately adopted Democratic orthodoxy and campaigned for Democrats.
Delegate to Missouri Constitutional Convention
Represented St. Louis and argued for home rule for the city (1874).
Campained nationally for Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden
Gave nearly 70 speeches for Tilden and wrote dispatches for the New York Sun supporting the campaign.
Married Katherine 'Kate' Davis
Married Kate Davis in an Episcopal ceremony at the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C.
Purchased the St. Louis Dispatch (auction) and merged to form Post-Dispatch
Bought the moribund St. Louis Dispatch (reported purchase at auction for $2,500) and merged with John Dillon's St. Louis Post; the St. Louis Post and Dispatch was formed Dec 12, 1878.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch circulation 4,984
At the end of 1879 circulation rose to 4,984 and Pulitzer doubled the paper to 8 pages.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch circulation 8,740 at year-end
By the end of 1880 circulation reached 8,740 after expansion and investment.
Ran for U.S. Representative (Missouri 2nd) and lost nomination
Sought the Democratic nomination in 1880 but was defeated by Thomas Allen (4,254 to 709).
Post-Dispatch circulation 12,000 (March)
Circulation rose to roughly 12,000 by March 1881; Pulitzer invested in presses and higher pay.
Post-Dispatch circulation 22,300 (September)
By Sept 1882 circulation had expanded to about 22,300 after investments in presses and staffing.
Alonzo Slayback killed outside Post-Dispatch office
Managing editor John Cockerill shot and killed Alonzo Slayback after Slayback entered the office armed; Cockerill was not tried after a grand jury inquest. Incident damaged Pulitzer's local reputation.
Moved to New York and relaunched the New York World
Pulitzer and family moved to New York (leased a Gramercy Park home); the World gained 6,000 readers in the first two weeks and circulation doubled to ~39,000 within three months (from ~15,000).
Purchased the New York World from Jay Gould for $346,000
Pulitzer bought the failing New York World (a Gould 'throw-in') — the sale price reported as $346,000; he retained freedom to select staff.
Backed Grover Cleveland in presidential campaign
Through the World Pulitzer supported Cleveland; by Election Day the World averaged ~110,000 copies/day and ran a special of ~223,680 copies.
Elected to U.S. House of Representatives (NY's 9th district)
Pulitzer took his seat in the U.S. House on March 4, 1885 as a Democrat; served on the Committee on Commerce and advocated for placing the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Resigned from Congress to run the New York World
Pulitzer resigned his House seat April 10, 1886 after realizing the newspaper offered more power than Congress.
Recruited Nellie Bly to the New York World
Pulitzer hired investigative journalist Nellie Bly (famous for undercover reporting and later the world trip).
Founded the Evening World
Pulitzer launched the World's evening edition (Evening World) expanding his newspaper chain.
New York World Building completed (Park Row)
Pulitzer commissioned George B. Post to design the New York World Building, completed in 1890; it became an icon of Park Row.
Introduced The Yellow Kid and Sunday color supplement
The Yellow Kid comic by Richard F. Outcault appeared in the World's Sunday color supplement — a milestone in mass-circulation Sunday comics.
Spanish–American War coverage and competition with Hearst
Pulitzer's World engaged in fierce circulation competition with William Randolph Hearst's Journal; both were associated with 'yellow journalism' during the war.
Newsboys' strike linked to World and Journal practices
The 1899 Newsboys' Strike targeted the business practices of Pulitzer and Hearst's papers over compensation for child hawkers.
Completed Upper East Side Venetian palazzo residence (11 East 73rd St.)
Following a fire at his former residence, Pulitzer commissioned Stanford White; the limestone-clad palazzo was completed in 1903.
Hired Frank I. Cobb as editor of the New York World
Frank I. Cobb was brought in as editor (1904); clashes occurred between Cobb and Pulitzer over editorial control.
Son Ralph assumed administrative responsibility
Ralph Pulitzer took over administrative duties in 1907; Joseph wrote a careful resignation that was widely printed except in the World.
John McNaught served as Pulitzer's personal secretary
John McNaught was Pulitzer's personal secretary (1907–1912) and later became editor of the Evening World.
Six months of physician care aboard yacht Liberty
Pulitzer was attended aboard his yacht Liberty for six months in 1908 by personal physician C. Louis Leipoldt due to declining health.
Indicted for libeling Theodore Roosevelt and J. P. Morgan (Panama expose)
After the World exposed an alleged $40,000,000 illegal payment to the French Panama Canal Company, Pulitzer was indicted for libel; the courts later dismissed the indictments.
Died aboard yacht Liberty in Charleston Harbor
Pulitzer died on October 29, 1911 while aboard his yacht Liberty in Charleston Harbor; his last words were recorded in German. He was later interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.
Columbia University School of Journalism opened (using Pulitzer bequest)
Following provisions in Pulitzer's will, Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism opened in 1912 (Pulitzer had specified funding in his will).
First Pulitzer Prizes awarded
Columbia University organized and awarded the first Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, literature, and the arts, funded by Pulitzer's endowment in his will.
U.S. Post Office commemorative stamp issued (100th anniversary)
A 3-cent stamp commemorating Joseph Pulitzer was issued in 1947 on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame
Joseph Pulitzer was posthumously inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1989.
Pulitzer family newspapers sold to Lee Enterprises (legacy event)
The Pulitzer family's group (including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) remained involved until sold to Lee Enterprises in 2005 (family legacy event).
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