Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Swanson, Claude Augustus

(Encyclopedia)Swanson, Claude Augustus, 1862–1939, American politician, b. Pittsylvania co., Va. He practiced law in Chatham, Va., and after serving (1893–1905) in the U.S. House of Representatives he was (1906...

Cook, Sir Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Cook, Sir Joseph, 1860–1947, Australian statesman, b. England. A leader of the Free Trade party, he served as prime minister (1913–14) and later as minister of the navy (1917–21) and high commis...

Organization of American States

(Encyclopedia)Organization of American States (OAS), international organization, created Apr. 30, 1948, at Bogotá, Colombia, by agreement of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican R...

Open Door

(Encyclopedia)Open Door, maintenance in a certain territory of equal commercial and industrial rights for the nationals of all countries. As a specific policy, it was first advanced by the United States, but it was...

Plaza Lasso, Galo

(Encyclopedia)Plaza Lasso, Galo gäˈlō pläˈ sä läˈsō [key], 1906–87, president of Ecuador (1948–52) and secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS; 1968–75), b. New York City. He se...

Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan

(Encyclopedia)Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan, 1932–2013, Sierra Leonean economist and political leader. A member of the Sierra Leone People's party, he entered the civil service in 1959 and served in the trade and industry ...

Aga Khan

(Encyclopedia)Aga Khan äˈgä khän [key], the title of the religious leader and imam of the Ismaili Nizari sect of Islam, originally bestowed by the Persian shah Fath Ali on Hasan Ali Shah, 1800–1881, the 46th ...

Beer, George Louis

(Encyclopedia)Beer, George Louis, 1872–1920, American historian, b. Staten Island, N.Y. He was a tobacco importer for 10 years but also lectured on European history at Columbia from 1893 to 1897. After 1903 he de...

Browse by Subject