The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.
List of winners and their official citations
1917: No author named, New York Tribune, "for an editorial article on the first anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania."
1918: No author named, Louisville Courier Journal, "for the editorial article, 'Vae Victis!' and the editorial, 'War Has Its Compensation.'"
1929:Louis Isaac Jaffe, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, "for his editorial entitled 'An Unspeakable Act of Savagery,' which is typical of a series of articles written on the lynching evil and in successful advocacy of legislation to prevent it."
1945:George W. Potter, Providence Journal-Bulletin, for his editorials published during the calendar year 1944, especially for his editorials on the subject of freedom of the press.
1951:William Harry Fitzpatrick, New Orleans States, "for his series of editorials analyzing and clarifying a very important constitutional issue, which is described by the general heading of the series, 'Government by Treaty.'"
1954:Don Murray, Boston Herald, "for a series of editorials on the 'New Look' in National Defense which won wide attention for their analysis of changes in American military policy."
1955:Royce Howes, Detroit Free Press, "for an editorial on 'The Cause of a Strike,' impartially and clearly analyzing the responsibility of both labor and management for a local union's unauthorized strike in July, 1954, which rendered 45,000 Chrysler Corporation workers idle and unpaid. By pointing out how and why the parent United Automobile Workers' Union ordered the local strike called off and stating that management let dissatisfaction get out of hand, the editorial made a notable contribution to public understanding of the whole program of the respective responsibilities and relationships of labor and management in this field."
1957:Buford Boone of Tuscaloosa News, "for his fearless and reasoned editorials in a community inflamed by a segregation issue, an outstanding example of his work being the editorial entitled, 'What a Price for Peace,' published on February 7, 1956."
1958:Harry Ashmore, Arkansas Gazette, "for the forcefulness, dispassionate analysis and clarity of his editorials on the school integration conflict in Little Rock."
1959:Ralph McGill, Atlanta Constitution, "for his distinguished editorial writing during 1958 as exemplified in his editorial 'A Church, A School....' and for his long, courageous and effective editorial leadership."
1960:Lenoir Chambers, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, "for his series of editorials on the school integration problem in Virginia, as exemplified by 'The Year the Schools Closed,' published January 1, 1959, and 'The Year the Schools Opened,' published December 31, 1959."
1994:R. Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune, "for his series of editorials deploring the murder of a 3-year-old boy by his abusive mother and decrying the Illinois child welfare system."
1999: Editorial Board, New York Daily News, "for its effective campaign to rescue Harlem'sApollo Theater from the financial mismanagement that threatened the landmark's survival."
2002:Alex Raksin and Bob Sipchen, Los Angeles Times, "for their comprehensive and powerfully-written editorials exploring the issues and dilemmas provoked by mentally ill people dwelling on the streets."
2004:William R. Stall, Los Angeles Times, "for his incisive editorials that analyzed California's troubled state government, prescribed remedies and served as a model for addressing complex state issues."
2005:Tom Philp of Sacramento Bee, "for his deeply researched editorials on reclaiming California?s flooded Hetch Hetchy Valley that stirred action."
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