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When did Dr. Seuss win the Pulitzer Prize?

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist, most widely known for his children’s books written under his pen name, Dr. Seuss. He published over 60 children’s books, which were often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme and frequent use of trisyllabic meter. His most notable books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Numerous adaptations of his work have been created, including eleven television specials, three feature films and a Broadway musical.

Geisel also worked as an illustrator for advertising campaigns, most notably for Flit and Standard Oil, and as a political cartoonist for PM, a New York City magazine. During World War II, he worked in an animation department of the United States Air Force, where he wrote Design for Death, a film that later won the 1947 Academy Award for Documentary Feature.

Despite his numerous awards, Geisel never won the Caldecott Medal nor the Newbery. Three of his titles were chosen as Caldecott runners-up (now referred to as Caldecott Honor books): McElligot’s Pool (1947), Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949), and If I Ran the Zoo (1950).

From the blog, Self-Publishing, Children’s Books and Me: Ironically, while Seuss did not win a Newbery, “the Pulitzer Prize for Children’s Literature”, he DID win a Pulitzer Prize. In 1984, Dr. Seuss won a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation award “for his contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America’s children and their parents.” One of the Pulitzer judges said that the proposal to award a Pulitzer to Dr. Seuss was agreed upon as quickly as any he could remember.