Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Perley, Sir George Halsey, 1857–1938, Canadian statesman, b. Lebanon, N.H. As a child, he moved with his parents to Ottawa. In 1904 he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative,...

(Encyclopedia) Daly, Arnold dāˈlē [key], 1875–1927, American actor, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. He first appeared on the stage in 1892. Inspired by Richard Mansfield's production of The Devil's Disciple (1897–98), Daly...

(Encyclopedia) Byrne, Jane, 1934–2014, American politician, b. Chicago as Margaret Jane Burke. She was Chicago's consumer sales commissioner (1968–77) under Mayor Richard Daley before she became the first woman ...

(Encyclopedia) Cadbury, George, 1839–1922, English manufacturer and social reformer; husband of Elizabeth Mary Cadbury. In 1861, Cadbury and his brother Richard assumed control of their father's Birmingham cocoa a...

(Encyclopedia) carding, process by which fibers are opened, cleaned, and straightened in preparation for spinning. The fingers were first used, then a tool of wood or bone shaped like a hand, then two flat pieces of...

(Encyclopedia) Abscam, U.S. scandal resulting from an investigation begun in 1978 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI created a front (Abdul Enterprises, Ltd., hence, Abscam) for its agents, who, posing ...

(Encyclopedia) Knowles, James Sheridan nōlz [key], 1784–1862, Anglo-Irish dramatist; cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Although he was one of the leading playwrights of his time, his works are seldom produced ...

(Encyclopedia) Kostelanetz, André änˈdrā kŏsˌtəläˈnĭts [key], 1901–80, American pianist and conductor, b. St. Petersburg, Russia. After studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, he emigrated ...

(Encyclopedia) Surrey, Henry Howard, earl of, 1517?–1547, English poet; son of Thomas Howard, 3d duke of Norfolk. His irascibility and continuous vaunting of his descent from Edward I resulted in his imprisonment ...

(Encyclopedia) waltz, romantic dance in moderate triple time. It evolved from the German Ländler and became popular in the 18th cent. The dance is smooth, graceful, and vital in performance. The waltz in Vicente Ma...