Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. [Vol. 5.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Studies - András Csillag: Joseph Pulitzer, Master Journalist and Benefactor

new teaching methods; professional schools of law, medicine, education, business, and other specialties increased in number. The university founded by Johns Hopkins in 1876 specialized in graduate education. In 1885 the railroad builder Stanford endowed a university in California, while a year later John D. Rockefeller made a gift to resuscitate the University of Chicago. In the same decade Andrew Carnegie enunciated his "gospel of wealth", stating that the rich should act as trustees for the public benefit. Soon a series of further notable gifts for philanthropic purposes began to attract attention. Bankers, industrialists and other business people, like Andrew J. Drexel, Philip Armour, etc. inaugurated similar institutions of higher education at the turn of the century. Joseph Pulitzer gained distinction in initiating the training of journalists at the university level. Although himself achieved lasting recognition for establishing high standard, modern journalism, he wanted to raise newspaper standards by endowing a school of journalism. He regarded journalism as a profession (which was unusual at the turn of the century) and envisioned an institution that would not only provide training in reporting and in development of writing style but would promote ethical principles, too. No school of journalism existed when he made his first proposal to Columbia University in 1891. However, the authorities at Columbia were inclined to look rather doubtful upon the proposition. Journalism still hardly qualified as a respectable profession, and The Worlds aggressive liberalism did not make it very appealing to the academics. Also, there were fears that the university's dignity might suffer. The collegiate training of newspapermen was almost as unheard of as advanced studies for salesmen or hotel managers. Pulitzer made it clear that once the gift was made, neither he nor The World would have any connection with the institution. Still, his plan met a lot of criticism and underwent much modification in the following years. As a result of Pulitzer's eloquent and convincing argument for its need, the trustees of the university finally accepted the plan of a graduate school in 1903. It was supported by a donation of two million dollars from the man who masterminded it. Pulitzer, to further justify his idea, wrote the following in an article published by the North American Review. 17