Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Kent, James, 1763–1847, American jurist, b. near Brewster, N.Y. He was admitted to the bar in 1785 and began practice in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Active in the Federalist party, he served several terms in...

(Encyclopedia) Otis, James, 1725–83, American colonial political leader, b. Barnstable co., Mass. A lawyer first in Plymouth and then in Boston, he won great distinction and served (1756–61) as advocate general ...

(Encyclopedia) Hardie, James Keir kērˈ härˈdē [key], 1856–1915, British labor leader and socialist, b. Scotland. A coal miner, he became a union organizer and in 1888 founded the Scottish Labour party. In 189...

(Encyclopedia) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans., case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. Linda Brown was denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka because she was black. When, com...

(Encyclopedia) Mary Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart), 1542–87, only child of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. Through her grandmother Margaret Tudor, Mary had the strongest claim to the throne of England after t...

(Encyclopedia) Keeler, James Edward, 1857–1900, American astronomer, b. La Salle, Ill. At the age of 21 he went on the Naval Observatory expedition to Colorado to observe the solar eclipse of July, 1878. In 1886 h...

(Encyclopedia) Petrillo, James Caesar pētrĭlˈō, pĭ– [key], 1892–1984, American labor leader, president of the American Federation of Musicians (1940–58), b. Chicago. In 1915 he became president of the Ame...

(Encyclopedia) Blount, James Henderson blŭnt [key], 1837–1903, American public official, b. Jones co., Ga. U.S. Representative from Georgia (1873–93), he was chosen by President Cleveland as a special commissio...

(Encyclopedia) Forrestal, James Vincent fôrˈĭstôlˌ, fŏrˈ– [key], 1892–1949, U.S. secretary of the navy (1944–47) and secretary of defense (1947–49), b. Beacon, N.Y. He was a naval aviator in World War...

(Encyclopedia) Waddell, James Iredell wŏdĕlˈ [key], 1824–86, Confederate naval officer in the American Civil War, b. Pittsboro, N.C. He was appointed a midshipman in the U.S. navy in 1841. On return from duty i...