(Encyclopedia) Whyte, William Hollingsworth, 1917–99, b. West Chester, Pa. He graduated from Princeton (1939), then served in the Marine Corps (1941–45). Writing for Fortune magazine (1946–58), he…
(Encyclopedia) Wilkie, Sir David, 1785–1841, Scottish genre painter. He studied in Edinburgh and at the Royal Academy and won early popularity with his admirable little scenes of everyday life.…
(Encyclopedia) Wilson, James Grant, 1832–1914, American biographer and man of letters, b. Scotland. He was brought to the United States in 1833. After journalistic work in Chicago and service in the…
(Encyclopedia) Spence, Thomas, 1750–1814, English agrarian socialist. A forerunner of the single taxers (see single tax), he devised a scheme by which the parishes would assume ownership of the land…
(Encyclopedia) Adrian VI, 1459–1523, pope (1522–23), a Netherlander (b. Utrecht) named Adrian Florensz; successor of Leo X. He taught at Louvain and was tutor of the young prince, later Holy Roman…
(Encyclopedia) York Factory, fur-trading post, NE Man., Canada, on Hudson Bay, at the mouth of the Hayes River, just east of the mouth of the Nelson River. The name was used for several early (late-…
(Encyclopedia) Brice, Fanny or Fannie, 1891–1951, American comedienne, b. New York City as Fanny Borach. Brice appeared in burlesque and vaudeville from 1906. She starred in the Ziegfeld “Follies”…
(Encyclopedia) Ramanujan, SrinivasaRamanujan, Srinivasashrēˌnĭväˈsə rämäˈn&oobreve;jən [key], 1889–1920, Indian mathematician. He was a self-taught genius in pure mathematics who made original…
(Encyclopedia) recoilless rifle, light artillery piece, without recoil, usually operated by two men. An American invention, it was used as an infantry weapon for attacking fortifications such as…
(Encyclopedia) SemeleSemelesĕmˈĭlē [key], in Greek mythology, mother of Dionysus, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. Zeus, who loved her, appeared to her as a man. Semele asked him to come to her in…
