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St. Denis, Ruth

(Encyclopedia)St. Denis, Ruth sānt dĕnˈĭs [key], 1877–1968, American dancer, b. Newark, N.J., whose name was originally Ruth Dennis. After her debut (c.1893) she toured with David Belasco. In 1906 she began h...

Phaeophyta

(Encyclopedia)Phaeophyta fēŏfˈətə [key], phylum (division) of the kingdom Protista consisting of those organisms commonly called brown algae. Many of the world's familiar seaweeds are members of Phaeophyta. Th...

Astor, William Backhouse, 1792–1875, American financier

(Encyclopedia)Astor, William Backhouse, 1792–1875, American financier, b. New York City; son of John Jacob Astor (1763–1848). Educated in Germany, he was associated with his father in business after 1818. Later...

Flinck, Govert

(Encyclopedia)Flinck, Govert gōˈvärt flĭngk [key], 1615–1660, Dutch painter. A student of Rembrandt, Flinck is remembered mainly for his numerous portraits. There is a large and representative collection of F...

Penuel

(Encyclopedia)Penuel pēnyo͞oˈəl [key], in the Bible. 1 Unidentified place, E of the Jordan, in Gilead, by the river Jabbok where Jacob wrestled with the angel. It was destroyed by Gideon and later rebuilt by Je...

Parton, James

(Encyclopedia)Parton, James, 1822–91, American biographer, b. England. He came to the United States in 1827. In 1848 he joined the staff of N. P. Willis's Home Journal in New York City. His biographical writing b...

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans.

(Encyclopedia)Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans., case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. Linda Brown was denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka because she was black. When, com...

Gad

(Encyclopedia)Gad, in the Bible, son of Jacob and Zilpah and eponymous founder of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Its allotment was half of Gilead; this was the land best suited to the pastoral life, which Gad, lik...

Shubert Brothers

(Encyclopedia)Shubert Brothers sho͞oˈbərt [key], theatrical managers and producers. The brothers were Lee (1871–1953), Sam S. (1878–1905), and Jacob J. (1880–1963). Originally from Syracuse, N.Y., they beg...

Eeckhout, Gerbrand van den

(Encyclopedia)Eeckhout, Gerbrand van den gĕrˈbränt vän dĕn ākˈhout [key], 1621–74, Dutch painter and etcher. He was a pupil and close follower of Rembrandt, especially in his religious works. A fine drafts...