Joseph Pulitzer

Date of Birth: April 10, 1847

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: October 29, 1911

Biography

Joseph Pulitzer was a renowned Hungarian-American newspaper publisher who played a significant role in transforming American journalism. Born in Mako, Hungary, Pulitzer immigrated to the United States in 1864 and initially served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He began his journalism career with the German-language newspaper “Westliche Post” in St. Louis. His talent and ambition quickly elevated him to prominence. Pulitzer purchased the struggling “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” in 1878, turning it into a successful publication known for its investigative journalism and social advocacy. In 1883, he acquired the “New York World,” where he introduced sensationalist headlines and human-interest stories, strategies that significantly boosted the paper’s circulation. Pulitzer’s influence extended beyond journalism; he was a staunch advocate for free speech and the rights of immigrants. His legacy includes the establishment of the Columbia School of Journalism in 1912 and the creation of the Pulitzer Prizes, which continue to honor excellence in journalism, literature, and music.

5 Interesting Facts about Joseph Pulitzer

1. Joseph Pulitzer was blind for the last 22 years of his life but continued to manage his newspapers through dictation.

2. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 9th district from 1885 to 1886.

3. Pulitzer’s newspapers were instrumental in the Spanish-American War, often criticized for sensationalist “yellow journalism.”

4. He donated $2 million to establish the Columbia School of Journalism in 1912.

5. Pulitzer’s name is synonymous with excellence in journalism due to the prestigious Pulitzer Prizes, established based on his will.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Joseph Pulitzer

1. “Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together.”

2. “An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery.”

3. “Publicity, publicity, publicity is the greatest moral factor and force in our public life.”

4. “Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.”

5. “There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the time of his death, Joseph Pulitzer’s net worth was estimated to be around $30 million, equivalent to roughly $800 million today when adjusted for inflation.

Children

Joseph Pulitzer had seven children: 1. Ralph Pulitzer (1879-1939) 2. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. (1885-1955) 3. Herbert Pulitzer (1882-1957) 4. Edith Pulitzer (1886–1975) 5. Constance Pulitzer (1888-1936) 6. Lucille Pulitzer (1894-1928) 7. Dorth Worthen Pulitzer (1891-1904)