Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

425 results found

Otis, Harrison Gray, 1837–1917, American soldier and journalist

(Encyclopedia)Otis, Harrison Gray, 1837–1917, American soldier and journalist, b. Marietta, Ohio. He was (1860) a member of the Republican national convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for President, served ...

Savage, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Savage, Edward, 1761–1817, American portrait painter and engraver. He was probably self-taught, although he may have studied with Benjamin West during a brief visit to London. He at one time operate...

Gordon, Ruth

(Encyclopedia)Gordon, Ruth, 1896–1985, American actress and playwright, b. Wollaston, Mass. From her debut as Nibs in Peter Pan (1915), Gordon's career encompassed broad stage and film experience. Among the plays...

Morse, John Torrey

(Encyclopedia)Morse, John Torrey, 1840–1937, American lawyer and biographer, b. Boston. Admitted to the bar in 1862, he practiced law in Boston until 1880, when he turned all his attention to writing. With Henry ...

Machpelah

(Encyclopedia)Machpelah măkpēˈlə [key], cave, near Hebron; also called the Cave of the Patriarchs. The Book of Genesis relates that it was bought by Abraham from Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, for a family b...

Cartwright, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Cartwright, Peter, 1785–1872, American Methodist preacher, b. Virginia. He was a circuit rider in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois for nearly 50 years. In 1846 he was defeated as a c...

Simpson, Matthew

(Encyclopedia)Simpson, Matthew, 1811–84, American Methodist bishop, b. Cadiz, Ohio. In 1839 he became the first president of Indiana Asbury Univ. (now DePauw Univ.). He edited (1848–52) the Western Christian Ad...

Losey, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Losey, Joseph lōˈzē [key], 1909–84, American film director, b. La Crosse, Wis. Among his Hollywood works, many of which dealt with social issues, are The Boy With Green Hair (1948) and M (1951). ...

Dargomijsky, Aleksandr Sergeyevich

(Encyclopedia)Dargomijsky, Aleksandr Sergeyevich əlyĭksänˈdər syĭrgāˈəvĭch därgōmēˈskī [key], 1813–69, Russian composer. He and Glinka brought nationalism to Russian music, strongly influencing the...

Flexner, Simon

(Encyclopedia)Flexner, Simon, 1863–1946, American pathologist, b. Louisville, Ky., M.D. Univ. of Louisville, 1889; brother of Abraham Flexner. He served with the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockfeller Univ.) from ...