Chautauqua Lecture Series: Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power

On October 29, 1911, newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer died aboard his yacht in the Charleston, S.C., harbor. His destination had been his winter cottage on Jekyll Island. Several years later, through an endowment in his will, the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to recognize excellence in journalism and the arts.

This summer, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Prize, the Society will explore connections between our state and the coveted award. In a series of five programs, scholars and authors will focus on winners in different categories and the impact of the Prize. The series will begin and end with lectures about early recipients: playwright Eugene O’Neill, winner of four Prizes for drama, who lived on Sea Island for four years; and Caroline Miller, 1934 winner for fiction, who paved the way for Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. The 1998 and 2007 Pulitzer Prize winners in History, both Georgia residents, will discuss the impact of the award on their careers, and Joseph Pulitzer’s biographer will tell the story of the ground-breaking publisher.

James McGrath Morris’ lecture on August 25, will examine the fascinating life of Joseph Pulitzer, who transformed journalism through sensationalism and mass circulation. Between 1886 and his death in 1911, Pulitzer was an active member of the Jekyll Island Club and often wintered at his cottage there. Morris’ 2010 biography entitled Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power was cited by The Wall Street Journal as one of the five best books on American moguls. He is author of four additional books and co-founder of Biographers International Organization (BIO), which promotes the art and craft of biography.

The 2016 Lecture Series is sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors.