Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Messmer, Pierre (Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer) pyĕr mĕsmāˈ [key], 1916–, French political leader. In World War II he fought with the Free French forces before joining General de Gaulle's staff....

(Encyclopedia) Louÿs, Pierre pyĕr lo͞oēˈ [key], 1870–1925, French writer of the Parnassian school, whose real name was Pierre Louis. His early poems, collected as Astarté (1891), first appeared in the Conque...

(Encyclopedia) Louvois, François Michel Le Tellier, marquis de fräNswäˈ mēshĕlˈ lə tĕlyāˈ märkēˈ də lo͞ovwäˈ [key], 1641–91, French statesman, minister during the reign of King Louis XIV. After 1...

(Encyclopedia) La Vérendrye, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de: see Vérendrye. ...

(Encyclopedia) Laclos, Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de pyĕr äNbrwäzˈ fräNswäˈ shôdĕrlōˈ də läklōˈ [key], 1741–1803, French novelist and general, known as Choderlos de Laclos. He is best known...

(Encyclopedia) Coubertin, Pierre Frédy, baron de pyĕr frādēˈ, də co͞obĕrtăNˈ [key], 1863–1937, French founder of the modern Olympic games. Born into an aristocratic family, he pursued a career as an educ...

(Encyclopedia) Argenson, Marc Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d' märk pyĕr də vwäyāˈ də pōmēˈ kôNt därzhäNsôNˈ [key], 1696–1764, French statesman and patron of literature; younger brother of René ...

(Encyclopedia) de Gennes, Pierre-Gilles, 1932–2007, French physicist, Ph.D. Center for Nuclear Studies at Saclay, France, 1958. He was a professor at the Univ. of Paris, Orsay, from 1961 to 1971, when he joined th...

(Encyclopedia) Boisguilbert, Pierre le Pesant, sieur de pyĕr lə pəzäNˈ syör də bwägēlbĕrˈ [key], 1646–1714, French economist. A local official of Rouen after 1689, he proposed a radical alteration of th...

(Encyclopedia) Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de pyĕr ōgüstăNˈ karôNˈ də bōmärshāˈ [key], 1732–99, French dramatist. Originally a watchmaker, he rose to wealth and position among the nobility. His...