Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Vanbrugh, Sir John vănbro͞oˈ, vănˈbrə [key], 1664–1726, English dramatist, architect, soldier, and adventurer, b. London, of Flemish descent. In 1686 he obtained a commission in the army. He w...

(Encyclopedia) Otway, Thomas, 1652–85, English dramatist, educated at Winchester and at Oxford. After failing as an actor, Otway wrote his first play, Alcibiades, produced in 1675. Later plays include the rhymed h...

(Encyclopedia) Truxtun, Thomas, 1755–1822, American naval officer, b. near Hempstead, L.I., N.Y. In the American Revolution he won a name as a privateer, seizing many British prizes. Later he was a sea captain in ...

(Encyclopedia) Thomas, Cyrus, 1825–1910, American anthropologist and entomologist, b. Kingsport, Tenn. He was a lawyer, then a minister (1865–69) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was associated with the U....

(Encyclopedia) Smith, Thomas, Captain, American painter, active in New England from 1675 to 1690. Smith introduced baroque painting techniques into American art. He made use of chiaroscuro technique to render solid ...

(Encyclopedia) Grierson, Sir George Abraham grĭrˈsən [key], 1851–1941, Irish philologist. Besides writing grammars of many modern Indian vernaculars, Grierson directed the compilation of the great Linguistic Su...

(Encyclopedia) Medawar, Sir Peter Brian mĕdˈəwär [key], 1915–87, British zoologist, b. Brazil. After graduate work at Oxford, he held research and teaching posts there. He was professor of zoology (1947–51) ...

(Encyclopedia) Chandos, Sir John shănˈdŏs, chănˈ– [key], d. 1370, English soldier and administrator of English territories in France. A friend of Edward the Black Prince, he won distinction in the Hundred Yea...

(Encyclopedia) MacLeod, Sir George məkloudˈ [key], 1895–1991, Scottish clergyman. He was educated at Oxford and, after serving in World War I, was ordained a Church of Scotland minister in 1924. Disaffected with...

(Encyclopedia) Brittan, Sir Leon brĭtˈən [key], 1939–, British politician. Educated at Cambridge, he was elected to Parliament as a Conservative in 1974. Under Margaret Thatcher he served as home secretary (198...