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Petrillo, James Caesar

(Encyclopedia)Petrillo, James Caesar pētrĭlˈō, pĭ– [key], 1892–1984, American labor leader, president of the American Federation of Musicians (1940–58), b. Chicago. In 1915 he became president of the Ame...

Hastings, Thomas, American composer

(Encyclopedia)Hastings, Thomas, 1784–1872, American composer, b. Washington, Conn. Of his hymns, Rock of Ages is most famous. He compiled several books of hymns, including Musica Sacra (1815) and Spiritual Songs ...

Falls Church

(Encyclopedia)Falls Church, independent city (2020 pop. 14,917), NE Va., a residential suburb of Washington, D.C.; inc. as a town 1875, as a city 1948. There is diver...

Palmer, Ray

(Encyclopedia)Palmer, Ray, 1808–87, American Congregational clergyman and hymn writer, b. Little Compton, R.I., grad. Yale, 1830. He held pastorates in Bath, Maine (1835–50), and Albany, N.Y. (1850–66). He is...

Gardner, Erle Stanley

(Encyclopedia)Gardner, Erle Stanley, 1889–1970, American detective-story writer, b. Malden, Mass. He served as a trial lawyer for many years. About 1921 he began writing detective stories for magazines; after tha...

Stone, Nicholas

(Encyclopedia)Stone, Nicholas, 1586–1647, English sculptor and mason, b. Devonshire. He rose to a position of highest importance as a decorative sculptor, working after designs by Inigo Jones. His independent pro...

composition board

(Encyclopedia)composition board, wood product produced in the form of a board or sheet, formed of cellulose fibers or particles derived from wood or other sources, and used principally as a building material. The o...

Trent Affair

(Encyclopedia)Trent Affair, incident in the diplomatic relations between the United States and Great Britain, which occurred during the American Civil War. On Nov. 8, 1861, the British mail packet Trent, carrying J...

Fairfax

(Encyclopedia)Fairfax, city (2020 pop. 24,146), historic seat of Fairfax co., NE Va., a residential suburb of Washington, D.C.; inc. 1892, as a city 1961 (at which ti...

Marie de France

(Encyclopedia)Marie de France də fräNs [key], fl. 1155–90, poet. Born in France, she spent her adult life in England in aristocratic circles and wrote in Anglo-Norman. She is best known for some dozen lais; sev...