Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Foster, Charles, 1828–1904, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1891–93), b. Seneca co., Ohio. He was long identified with the business interests of Fostoria, Ohio—named for C. W. Foster, his father...

(Encyclopedia) American Indian languages: see Native American languages. ...

(Encyclopedia) Natives, North American, peoples who occupied North America before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th cent. They have long been known as Indians because of the belief prevalent at the time of Co...

(Encyclopedia) Carew, George, Baron Carew of Clopton and earl of Totnes kəro͞oˈ, tŏtˈnĭs [key], 1555–1629, English soldier and statesman. He began his military career in Ireland in 1574 and served (1588–92...

(Encyclopedia) American International Group (AIG), American multinational insurance corporation whose potential bankruptcy in 2008 led to the largest federal bailout of a private company. AIG was founded as American...

(Encyclopedia) Glubb, Sir John Bagot băgˈət [key], 1897–1986, British soldier. He served in France during World War I and in 1920 was posted to Iraq, where he lived among Arab Bedouins and studied their languag...

(Encyclopedia) Day, Benjamin Henry, 1810–89, American journalist. He learned the printer's trade in the office of the Springfield (Mass.) Republican and opened a printing office in New York City. Lack of work duri...

(Encyclopedia) Porter, Horace, 1837–1921, American soldier and diplomat, b. Huntingdon, Pa. In the Civil War he saw varied service, mostly as an ordnance officer, before becoming (1864) aide-de-camp to Gen. U. S. ...

(Encyclopedia) American Film Institute (AFI), nonprofit organization established in Washington, D.C., in 1967 by the National Endowment for the Arts to preserve and catalog American films and television, to provide ...

(Encyclopedia) Akita äkēˈtə [key], breed of large dog developed in Japan from ancient ancestry and used originally as a hunter of such game as deer, wild boar, and bear. It stands from 20 to 27 in. (50.8–68.6 ...