Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Williams, Betty, 1943–2020, Northern Irish peace activist, b. Belfast as Elizabeth Smyth. In Aug., 1976, Williams, a receptionist, witnessed the death of three children when a car driven by an Irish...

(Encyclopedia) Ribičič, Mitja mēˈtyä rĭbĭchĭˈch [key], 1919–2013, Yugoslav politician. A Slovenian, he participated in the revolutionary student movement and joined the Communist party in 1941. He was a m...

(Encyclopedia) Rietveld, Gerrit Thomas gĕrĭtˈ tōˈməs rētˈfĕlt [key], 1888–1965, Dutch architect and furniture designer. At first a cabinetmaker, Rietveld created (c.1917) a chair that was an important con...

(Encyclopedia) Baker, George Pierce, 1866–1935, American educator, b. Providence, R.I., grad. Harvard, 1887. He taught (1888–1924) in the English department at Harvard and there conceived and instituted (1906) t...

(Encyclopedia) Raiffeisen, Friedrich Wilhelm frēˈdrĭkh vĭlˈhĕlm rīfˈīˌzən [key], 1818–88, German leader in the cooperative movement. Between 1845 and 1865 he was mayor of several German towns. After the...

(Encyclopedia) Ramgoolam, Navinchandra, 1947–, Mauritian political leader, prime minister of Mauritius, (1995–2000, 2005–14), son of of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. A doctor, he practiced medicine from 1975 to 1...

(Encyclopedia) Rancé, Armand Jean le Bouthillier de ärmäNˈ zhäN lə bo͞otēyāˈ də räNsāˈ [key], 1626–1700, French religious reformer, founder of the Trappists. He was of a noble family, was well educat...

(Encyclopedia) Barrientos Ortuño, René rānāˈ bär-ryānˈtōs ōrto͞oˈnyō [key], 1919–69, Bolivian political leader. Commander of the Bolivian air force, he supported the National Revolutionary Movement (M...

(Encyclopedia) Bryusov, Valery Yakovlevich vəlyĕˈrē yäˈkəvlyĭvĭch brēo͞oˈsəf [key], 1873–1924, Russian poet, novelist, and critic. He was the spearhead of the symbolist movement and wrote highly polis...

(Encyclopedia) Bugenhagen, Johann yōˈhän bo͞oˈgənhäˌgən [key], 1485–1558, German Protestant reformer. Born in Pomerania, he is sometimes called Dr. Pomeranus. Bugenhagen, an ordained priest, was attracted...