Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Moultrie, William mo͞olˈtrē [key], 1730–1805, American Revolutionary general, b. Charleston, S.C. He had fought against the Native Americans (1761) and served in the colonial assembly before the ...

(Encyclopedia) Bligh, William blī [key], 1754–1817, British admiral. He is chiefly remembered for the mutiny (1789) on his ship, the Bounty, but he had a long and notable career. He was sailing master on Capt. Ja...

(Encyclopedia) Claiborne, William klāˈbərn [key], c.1587–c.1677, Virginia colonist, b. Westmorland co., England. He emigrated to Virginia in 1621 as official surveyor and then served as secretary of state (1626...

(Encyclopedia) Proxmire, William (Edward William Proxmire), 1915–2005, U.S. senator (1957–89), b. Lake Forest, Ill. He worked in army counterintelligence during World War II and later entered politics, serving (...

(Encyclopedia) Empson, William, 1906–84, English critic and poet. His Seven Types of Ambiguity (1930), a study of the meanings of poetry, is a classic of modern literary criticism. It was followed by Some Versions...

(Encyclopedia) Goffe, William gôf [key], d. c.1679, English soldier and regicide. A personal adherent of Oliver Cromwell, he fought in the English civil war, signed the death warrant of Charles I, and became an adm...

(Encyclopedia) Hoppe, Willie (William Frederick Hoppe) hŏpˈē [key], 1887–1959, American billiards champion, b. Cornwall, N.Y. He practiced billiards from a very early age and gave exhibitions before he won (190...

(Encyclopedia) Bunsen, Christian Karl Josias, Freiherr von krĭsˈtyän kärl yōzēˈäs frīˈhĕr fən bo͝onˈzən [key], 1791–1860, Prussian diplomat and scholar. He studied theology at the Univ. of Göttinge...

(Encyclopedia) Painter, William, 1540?–1594, English translator. His Palace of Pleasure (1566–67)—a collection of translations from Boccaccio, the Heptameron, and many other sources—was drawn upon by Shakesp...

(Encyclopedia) Jerrold, Douglas William jĕrˈəld [key], 1803–57, English humorist and playwright. His plays Blackeyed Susan (1829) and Time Works Wonders (1845) were highly successful. Jerrold is best known, how...