Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Brisbane, Sir Thomas Makdougall brĭzˈbən, –bān [key], 1773–1860, British soldier, astronomer, and colonial administrator in Australia, b. Scotland. From 1793 to 1814 he served in the army in F...

(Encyclopedia) Edison, Thomas Alva, 1847–1931, American inventor, b. Milan, Ohio. A genius in the practical application of scientific principles, Edison was one of the greatest and most productive inventors of his...

(Encyclopedia) social contract, agreement or covenant by which men are said to have abandoned the “state of nature” to form the society in which they now live. The theory of such a contract, first formulated by ...

(Encyclopedia) Du Pont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel pyĕr sämüĕlˈ dü pôN də nəmo͞orˈ [key], 1739–1817, French economist, one of the physiocrats. Early in his career he attracted the attention of François Q...

(Encyclopedia) De la Warr, Thomas West, 12th Baron dĕlˈəwər [key], 1577–1618, English colonial governor of Virginia. He saw fighting in the Netherlands and was knighted when serving in Ireland. He succeeded to...

(Encyclopedia) Mifflin, Thomas, 1744–1800, American Revolutionary general and political leader, b. Philadelphia. Turning from business to public affairs, he was a member of the Pennsylvania provincial assembly and...

(Encyclopedia) Cole, Thomas, 1801–48, American landscape painter, b. England. He arrived in the United States in 1818 and moved to Ohio, where he was impressed by the beauty of the countryside. In 1825 he went to ...

(Encyclopedia) Hendricks, Thomas Andrews, 1819–85, Vice President of the United States (1885), b. near Zanesville, Ohio. As U.S. Senator from Indiana (1863–69) he opposed radical Reconstruction. He was (1873–7...

(Encyclopedia) Robertson, Thomas William, 1829–71, English dramatist and actor; brother of Madge Kendal. After spending several years as an actor, he turned to playwriting, initiating the “cup and saucer” scho...

(Encyclopedia) Emmet, Thomas Addis, 1764–1827, Irish-American lawyer, b. Cork, Ireland, grad. Trinity College, Dublin, 1782; brother of Robert Emmet. He was trained in medicine at the Univ. of Edinburgh but abando...