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“The story unravels almost like a mystery as the reader wonders how (or if) Pulitzer can save his newspaper as it faces fierce challenges from other newspapers, family members, and stockholders. Not only is the author breaking new ground by writing about someone who has largely been ignored by other historians, but by the end of the [book] the reader realizes why Joseph Pulitzer III was important in the history of American newspapers in the second half of the twentieth century.”—Patrick S. Washburn, author of A Question of Sedition: The Federal Government’s Investigation of the Black Press during World War II
The widely known Pulitzer name is considered by many to be synonymous with the Pulitzer Prizes and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Joseph Pulitzer III (1913–1993) was editor and publisher of the Post-Dispatch, as were his father and grandfather before him. In No Ordinary Joe, Daniel W. Pfaff provides an insightful look at the life and career of Joseph Pulitzer III, using correspondence and records that were made available exclusively to the author. Pfaff also includes interviews with more than seventy individuals who knew and/or worked with Pulitzer.
Trained for succession to the Pulitzer media empire by his father, Joseph Pulitzer III strove above all to maintain the paper’s liberal/reformist philosophy profitably practiced since 1878 by his predecessors. When other newspapers began blurring the boundary between news and entertainment as a way of keeping and attracting readers and advertisers, Pulitzer resisted letting the Post-Dispatch put profit motives ahead of journalistic independence. When Pulitzer died in 1993, he had managed to sustain the Post-Dispatch’s distinguished tradition of editorial independence, and he left behind a company that was substantially larger and more competitive than when he took charge thirty-eight years before.
In addition to
his work with the Post-Dispatch, Pulitzer was the head of the
Pulitzer Publishing Company from 1955 to 1993. He also served as
chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Board at Columbia University for
thirty-one years. The board, which had been established by his
grandfather, was responsible for awarding the coveted annual prizes in
journalism, letters, and music.
As much as
Pulitzer was known for his affiliation with the Post-Dispatch, he
was also known for his collection of contemporary art, regarded as one
of the largest and finest in the world. He was known, too, for the
stately way in which he carried himself, for his elegant attire, and for
his impeccable taste and manners.
This remarkable biography will be of interest to scholars of journalism and media history and American history generally, as well as those interested in the tribulations of family businesses. It will also appeal to cultural historians and general readers, who will be interested in how this bearer of a widely known name handled the power, responsibility, and privilege of the position into which he was born.
About the Author
Daniel W. Pfaff is Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Penn State University. Author of Joseph Pulitzer II and the Post-Dispatch: A Newspaperman’s Life, he lives in State College, Pennsylvania.