Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Welles, Orson

(Encyclopedia)Welles, Orson, 1915–85, American actor, director, and producer, b. Kenosha, Wis. From childhood he evinced a precocious talent and lofty sense of self-assurance in theatrical matters. He began actin...

Robeson, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Robeson, Paul rōbˈsən [key], 1898–1976, American actor and bass singer, b. Princeton, N.J. The son of a runaway slave who became a minister, Robeson graduated first from Rutgers (1919), where he ...

Hadley, Herbert Spencer

(Encyclopedia)Hadley, Herbert Spencer, 1872–1927, American lawyer, b. Olathe, Kans. As attorney general of Missouri (1905–9), he successfully prosecuted the Standard Oil Company for violating the state antitrus...

Baldwin, Matthias William

(Encyclopedia)Baldwin, Matthias William, 1795–1866, American industrialist and philanthropist, b. Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth), N.J. After earlier business successes, Baldwin became interested in steam-engine pr...

Whitaker, Charles Harris

(Encyclopedia)Whitaker, Charles Harris hwĭtˈəkər [key], 1872–1938, American architect and author, b. Rhode Island, studied art abroad. Editor (1913–27) of the journal of the American Institute of Architects...

Keppel, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Keppel, Francis, 1916–90, American educator, b. New York City. A Harvard graduate, Keppel was named dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education in 1948. There he introduced television into educat...

Knuth, Donald Ervin

(Encyclopedia)Knuth, Donald Ervin no͞oth, kəno͞othˈ [key], 1938–, American mathematician and computer scientist, b. Milwaukee, Wis., grad. Case Institute of Technology (B.S. and M.S., 1960) and California Ins...

Hansen, James Edward

(Encyclopedia)Hansen, James Edward, 1941–, American astrophysicist and climatologist, b. Denison, Iowa, Ph.D. Univ. of Iowa, 1967. In 1967 he joined the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and served as director...

Lancaster, Burt

(Encyclopedia)Lancaster, Burt (Burton Stephen Lancaster), 1913–94, American film actor, b. New York City. A superb athlete, he began his career as an acrobat. Best known for his roles as a cerebral tough guy, he ...

Autry, Gene

(Encyclopedia)Autry, Gene (Orvon Grover Autry), 1907–98, American entertainer and businessman, b. Tioga Springs, Tex. Probably the most successful of the movies' singing cowboys, Autry began singing o...