Oscar Hammerstein II six for lyrics or book, and two as producer of the Best Musical ("South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music"). Rodgers and Hammerstein began writing together before the era of the Tonys: "Oklahoma!" opened in 1943 and "Carousel" in 1945, and the Tony Awards were not awarded until 1947. They won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for "Oklahoma!" and, with Joshua Logan, the annual Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 for "South Pacific". The Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theater Studies at Columbia University was established in 1981 with a $1-million gift from his family. His advice and work
Oscar Hammerstein II off for one minute, and London's West End lights were dimmed in recognition of his contribution to the musical. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. A memorial plaque was unveiled at Southwark Cathedral, England, on May 24, 1961. He was survived by his second wife, Dorothy, his three children and two stepchildren. Hammerstein married his first wife, Myra Finn, in 1917; the couple divorced in 1929. He married his second wife, the Australian-born Dorothy (Blanchard) Jacobson, on May 13, 1929. He had three children: William Hammerstein (1918–2001) and Alice Hammerstein