Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Bush, Barbara, 1925–2018, b. New York City as Barbara Pierce; wife of George H. W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush. She studied briefly at Smith College before marrying (1945); the Bushes ultimate...

(Encyclopedia) Jones, Anson, 1798–1858, last president of the Texas republic (1844–46), b. Seekonk section of Great Barrington, Mass. He studied medicine and after an itinerant business and medical career went (...

(Encyclopedia) Beckford, William, 1760–1844, English author. A wealthy dilettante, Beckford had a great desire to ascend to the nobility. Unfortunately his erratic and strange behavior often worked against his amb...

(Encyclopedia) Takeshita, Noboru täkĕshˈtä [key], 1924–2000, Japanese politician, b. Kakeya. The son of a sake brewer, he was first elected to parliament in 1958 and served as chief cabinet secretary, construc...

(Encyclopedia) Lomonosov, Mikhail Vasilyevich mēkhəyēlˈ vəsēˈlyəvĭch ləmənôˈsəf [key], 1711–65, Russian scientist, scholar, and writer, an outstanding figure in 18th-century Russia. Lomonosov was the...

(Encyclopedia) Chauveau, Pierre Joseph Olivier pyĕr zhôzĕfˈ ôlēvyāˈ shōvōˈ [key], 1820–90, French Canadian educator and politician, prime minister of Quebec (1867–73), b. Quebec. He became superintend...

(Encyclopedia) Ryerson, Egerton (Adolphus Egerton Ryerson), 1803–82, Canadian clergyman and educator, b. Ontario. He was a founder (1829) and the first editor of the Christian Guardian, a Methodist periodical that...

(Encyclopedia) Buisson, Ferdinand Édouard fĕrdēnäNˈ ādwärˈ büēsôNˈ [key], 1841–1932, French educator and Nobel Peace Prize winner. He studied at the Sorbonne and later taught (1866–70) in Switzerland...

(Encyclopedia) Guthrie, Woody (Woodrow Wilson Guthrie), 1912–67, American folk singer, guitarist, and composer, b. Okemah, Okla. Guthrie was an itinerant musician and laborer from the age of 13. Deeply involved in...

(Encyclopedia) Pickens, Andrew, 1739–1817, American Revolutionary soldier, b. near Paxtang, Pa. He moved (1752) to South Carolina and took part (1761) in frontier warfare against the Cherokee. During the American ...