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who was the only u.s. president to be awarded a pulitzer prize?

The only U.S. president ever awarded a Pulitzer Prize is John F. Kennedy.

Quick Scoop

  • John F. Kennedy received the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for his book Profiles in Courage while he was still a U.S. senator, years before becoming president.
  • The book tells the stories of eight U.S. senators who took politically risky stands they believed were morally right, highlighting the idea of courage in public life.
  • No other American president has won a Pulitzer Prize, which keeps this fact a popular piece of political trivia and a recurring question in quizzes and online discussions even today.

A bit of story flavor

When Profiles in Courage came out in the mid‑1950s, it helped shape Kennedy’s image as an intellectual politician who cared about history and conscience in government. The prize added literary prestige to his rising national profile, which later fed into his 1960 presidential campaign and the enduring “Camelot” aura around his legacy.

TL;DR: John F. Kennedy is the only U.S. president to have won a Pulitzer Prize, for Profiles in Courage in 1957.

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