What was the original amount of money...

A mere $500—but that was back in 1917. Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911), for whom the prize is named, was publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1878) and the New York World (1883). He made his bequest for the prizes to Columbia University. Today, the president of the university awards the prizes annually, according to the recommendations of the Pulitzer Prize Board, for work that was done during the preceding year. In 1917, awards were given in the categories of reporting (including local, national, and international), editorial writing, history, biography, and autobiography. The next year, drama, fiction, and meritorious public service were added, and several more have been included since then.