Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Michener, James Albert

(Encyclopedia)Michener, James Albert mĭchˈnər [key], 1907–97, American author, b. New York City, grad. Swarthmore, 1929. His short-story collection Tales of the South Pacific (1947; Pulitzer Prize) was adapted...

Theus, Jeremiah

(Encyclopedia)Theus, Jeremiah tho͞os, tois [key], c.1719–1744, American portrait painter, b. Switzerland. He emigrated to South Carolina as a child. By 1740, according to newspaper notices, he was painting portr...

Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1818–93, American politician and Union general in the Civil War

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1818–93, American politician and Union general in the Civil War, b. Deerfield, N.H. He moved to Lowell, Mass., as a youth and later practiced law there and in Boston. He w...

Eigenmann, Carl H.

(Encyclopedia)Eigenmann, Carl H. īˈgənmən [key], 1863–1927, American ichthyologist, b. Germany, grad. Indiana Univ., 1886. From 1891 he taught at Indiana Univ., founding and directing the biological station a...

shrike

(Encyclopedia)shrike or butcher bird, predatory songbird found in most parts of the world except Australia and South America. The plumage of the European and North American species is mostly gray, black, and white;...

Page, Walter Hines

(Encyclopedia)Page, Walter Hines, 1855–1918, American journalist and diplomat, b. Cary, N.C. He became (1880) a reporter for the St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette and wrote a series of articles on the problems of the Sout...

Blount, William

(Encyclopedia)Blount, William, 1749–1800, American political leader, b. near Windsor, N.C. He served in the American Revolution and later became a legislator in North Carolina, a member of the Continental Congres...

Dow, Lorenzo

(Encyclopedia)Dow, Lorenzo dou [key], 1777–1834, American evangelist, b. Coventry, Conn. Although connected at times with the Methodist Church, he was an independent preacher for much of his life, traveling betwe...

Clapp, Verner

(Encyclopedia)Clapp, Verner, 1901–72, American librarian, b. Johannesburg, South Africa. After studying philosophy at Harvard, Clapp worked for the Library of Congress (1922–56), becoming chief assistant librar...

Middleton, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Middleton, Henry, 1717–84, American Revolutionary leader, b. near Charleston, S.C. A wealthy, influential planter, he held many official positions before resigning (1770) in protest against the Brit...