For 100 years, Pulitzer Prize winners have been presented medals with the portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Now, at last, medals have been created that feature the portrait of the benefactor who madethese awards possible-Joseph Pulitzer.

The Joseph Pulitzer medal was designed by renowned sculptor Eugene Daub. The high relief portrait was adopted from a painting by John Singer Sargent, and Pulitzer's still timely quote is featuredon the reverse: "Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together." Medals have been minted by Medallic Art Company, who also produced the original Pulitzer Prize medals in 1917.

The 2-inch diameter Pulitzer art medals are limited to no more than 150 bronze, 75 pure silver (2 ½ oz.) and 35 gold-plated pure silver (2 ½ oz.) medals, offered for contributions of $50, $200 and$250 respectively to the non-profit Jewish-American Hall of Fame. Half of the cost may be considered as a tax-deductible contribution. To order, call 818-225-1348 or send payment to JAHF, c/o MelWacks, 5189 Jeffdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91364. Mention that you read about it in The E-Sylum and you can take a 20% discount. Each medal is numbered on the edge, and comes with acertificate of authenticity.

Joseph Pulitzer arrived in Boston from Hungary in 1864 at the age of 17, his passage having been paid by Massachusetts military recruiters who were seeking soldiers for the American Civil War.Pulitzer was a part of Sheridan's troopers, in the First New York Lincoln Cavalry in Company L., where he served for eight months. On March 6, 1867, Pulitzer became an American citizen.

Pulitzer was no stranger to anti-Semitism. In his early career as a reporter, he was nicknamed "Joey the Jew." And when he was the successful publisher of the New York World, CharlesDana, the editor of the rival New York Sun, attacked Pulitzer in print, using derogatory terms like "Judas Pulitzer." In 1879, Joseph Pulitzer bought both the St. Louis Dispatch and the St.Louis Post, merging the two papers as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With his own paper, Pulitzer developed his role as a champion of the common man, featuring exposés and a hard-hitting populistapproach.

The Pulitzer Prizes were established in 1917 by money bequeathed by Joseph Pulitzer to Columbia University to recognize artistic and journalistic achievements in the United States. The prizes aregiven annually to award achievements in American journalism and photography, as well as literature and history, poetry, music and drama. The Columbia School of Journalism opened in 1912, thanks toPulitzer's philanthropic bequest.

The Joseph Pulitzer medal is the 48th issued by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, which is the longest continuing series of art medals currently being issued in the United States.

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