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JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000208

First Jewish Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

Record holder

Marya ZaturenskaPerson

Record value

2 May 1938

Country represented: United StatesAchievement location: New York, New York, United StatesAchievement date: 2 May 1938Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Portrait of poet Marya Zaturenska in 1921.

Marya Zaturenska, photographed by Arnold Genthe in 1921.Arnold Genthe / Library of Congress / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic Domain

Official record definition

The earliest poet meeting JWR Jewish-eligibility criteria to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Measurement methodology

Pulitzer Poetry winner chronology combined with Jewish-biographical verification of the earliest qualifying recipient.

Record story

Marya Zaturenska holds the record as the first Jewish recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, an achievement she secured in 1938 for her collection, 'Cold Morning Sky'. The prize was awarded in New York, New York, and official lists from The Pulitzer Prizes confirm her as the winner in the Poetry category for that year. Her position as the earliest qualifying Jewish recipient is based on a chronological review of all Pulitzer Poetry winners combined with biographical verification.

This verification is supported by a statement from her son, published in an introduction to her diaries, which notes that her parents were Jewish. Additionally, contemporary Jewish press coverage at the time of her win referred to her as a 'Jewish poetess', contextualising the achievement within the community.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
26 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The Pulitzer Prizes lists Cold Morning Sky by Marya Zaturenska as the 1938 Poetry winner.

Superiority evidence

JINFO's Jewish Pulitzer Poetry chronology begins with Zaturenska in 1938 and cites her son's statement that her parents were Jewish; this establishes her as the earliest qualifying Jewish recipient.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Jewish Recipients of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry — Zaturenska note — JINFO

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Marya Zaturenska — 1938 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry — The Pulitzer Prizes
  • Marya Zaturenska, 1921 — Arnold Genthe — Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Jewish Recipients of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry — JINFO

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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