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 KU
grad claims Pulitzer Prize for reporting
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Kevin Helliker
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A University of Kansas graduate has won a prestigious
Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting.
Kevin Helliker, c'82, a Kansas City, Kan., native who
earned a KU bachelor's degree in English literature,
won the award along with fellow Wall Street Journal
reporter Thomas M. Burton for their "groundbreaking"
examination of aneurysms.
"Kevin came to the journalism school with a creative
writing background and a strong desire to learn marketable
journalism skills that would lead to a good job,"
said Ted Frederickson, professor of journalism. "By
the end of my beginning reporting class, it was clear
that Kevin would have his choice of numerous good job
offers. Ironically, his first [University Daily] Kansan
story was about Lawrence's underground artists-people
who considered themselves musicians, novelists and sculptors
but who had to work day jobs to pay the rent. In a sense,
he was one of them—a creative writer who was looking
for a way that his writing would lead to a good job.
"To his credit, his Pulitzer-winning series on
aneurysms shows that he brought his creative writing
skills with him to his new profession."
The prize is worth $10,000. The awards are given by
Columbia University on the recommendation of the 18-member
Pulitzer board, which considers nominations from jurors
in each category. A complete list of Pulitzer winners
is online at www.pulitzer.org.
Helliker, who is the Journal's Chicago bureau chief,
began his journalism career in the Journal's Houston
bureau as a reporter in 1982. He later joined the Kansas
City Times and then became assistant editor at Corporate
Report Kansas City magazine. In 1986, he went to Arizona
Trend magazine as a writer and later managing editor.
In 1989, Helliker completed a yearlong writing fellowship
at Duke University before rejoining the Journal, working
as a reporter in Dallas, New York and London. He was
named Dallas bureau chief in May 1994 and Chicago bureau
chief in May 1996.
Other KU graduates who recently have won Pulitzer Prizes
include:
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Pat Gaston, j'81, and Mary Carter, j'86, were editors
on the Dallas Morning News team that won in 1994
for international reporting for a series on violence
against women in Africa.
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Jeff Taylor, j'90, won in 1992 for a series on
the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Kansas
City Star. Sharing the award were Star editor Mark
Zieman, j'84, and illustrator David Eames, f'89.
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Wall Street Journal Washington Bureau Chief Jerry
Seib, j'78, won in 2002 as part of the Journal team
that won for Sept. 11, 2001, coverage.
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Alvin Scott McCoy, c'25, of the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, won in 1954 for a series of exclusive stories which led to the resignation under fire of C. Wesley Roberts as Republican National Chairman.
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And of course William Allen White, '1890, the famed
Emporia Gazette editor for whom the KU journalism
school is named, won in 1923 for editorial writing
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