Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Bache Peninsula bāch [key], on E Ellesmere Island, in N Nunavut Territory, Canada. U.S. explorer Robert Peary proved this area to be a peninsula when he explored (1898) the region. From 1926 to 1933 ...

(Encyclopedia) Brookings Institution, at Washington, D.C.; chartered 1927 as a consolidation of the Institute for Government Research (est. 1916), the Institute of Economics (est. 1922), and the Robert S. Brookings ...

(Encyclopedia) Drinkwater, John, 1882–1937, English author. A founder of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, he was associated with it as actor, director, and general manager for many years. He is best known for his...

(Encyclopedia) Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tenn.; coeducational; chartered 1872 as Central Univ. of Methodist Episcopal Church, founded and renamed 1873, opened 1875 through a gift from Cornelius Vanderbilt...

(Encyclopedia) Widener, Harry Elkins wīdˈnər [key], 1885–1912, American bibliophile, b. Philadelphia. He had the greatest Robert Louis Stevenson collection in existence. Widener died at the age of 27 on the Tit...

(Encyclopedia) self-fulfilling prophecy, a concept developed by Robert K. Merton to explain how a belief or expectation, whether correct or not, affects the outcome of a situation or the way a person (or group) will...

(Encyclopedia) Frederick Louis, 1707–51, prince of Wales, eldest son of George II of England. By his wife, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, he had several children, the eldest of whom became George III. He quarrele...

(Encyclopedia) Liddell, Henry George lĭdˈəl [key], 1811–98, English classical scholar. He was headmaster (1846–55) of Westminster School and dean (1855–91) of Christ Church, Oxford. Liddell is famous for hi...

(Encyclopedia) Lillie, Beatrice (Lady Peel), 1898–1989, British comedienne, b. Toronto, Ont. as Constance Munston. Lillie first performed in London in 1914 and in New York in 1924. She won an international reputat...

(Encyclopedia) Nasmyth, Alexander nāˈsmĭth [key], 1758–1840, Scottish landscape and portrait painter. His Stirling Castle (National Gall., London) is a good example of his simple, picturesque Scottish scenes. H...