The prize is awarded each fall to journalists in the Western hemisphere who have contributed to Inter-American understanding. Godfrey Lowell Cabot of Boston founded the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes as a memorial to his wife, in 1938. The awards, the oldest international prizes in journalism, are awarded each fall to journalists in the Western hemisphere who, through their sustained and distinguished b
ody of work, have contributed to inter-American understanding. Occasionally, the prize is given to an organization that has made a similar contribution. Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism administers the prizes. The president of Columbia University presents the winners with their awards in a formal ceremony in the beautiful rotunda of Low Memorial Library, on the University's main campus in New York City. As of 2011, 261 Cabot gold medals and 53 special citations have been awarded to journalists from more than 30 countries in the Americas.
