Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Adams, Charles Francis, 1807–86, American public official

(Encyclopedia)Adams, Charles Francis, 1807–86, American public official, minister to Great Britain (1861–68), b. Boston; son of John Quincy Adams. After a boyhood spent in various European capitals, he was grad...

Morton, John, political leader in the American Revolution

(Encyclopedia)Morton, John, c.1724–1777, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Chester co., Pa. He was a member of the Pennsylvania assembly (1756–66, 1769�...

Putnam, George Palmer, 1814–72, American publisher

(Encyclopedia)Putnam, George Palmer, 1814–72, American publisher, b. Brunswick, Maine; grandnephew of Israel Putnam. A member of the New York City bookselling firm of Wiley and Putnam, he established a branch in ...

Moore, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Moore, Michael, 1954–, American documentary filmmaker, author, and activist, b. Flint, Mich. A highly personal, populist, and frequently controversial and polarizing documentary filmmaker, he made h...

Banks, Russell

(Encyclopedia)Banks, Russell, 1940–, American writer, b. Newton, Mass., grad. Univ. of North Carolina (1967). Banks is known for fiction that explores the bleaker aspects of American working-class life with empat...

Wissler, Clark

(Encyclopedia)Wissler, Clark, 1870–1947, American anthropologist, b. Wayne, Ind., grad. Indiana Univ., 1897, Ph.D. Columbia, 1901. At first a teacher of psychology, he became interested in anthropology under Fran...

Coppola, Francis Ford

(Encyclopedia)Coppola, Francis Ford kōˈpəˌlə [key], 1939–, American film director, b. Detroit. Coppola began his career directing low-budget films and working on screenplays for other directors. He won his f...

Bertolucci, Bernardo

(Encyclopedia)Bertolucci, Bernardo bĕrnärˈdō bĕrˌtōlo͞otˈchē [key], 1940–2018, Italian film director and screenwriter, considered one of the finest Italian directors of his generation. The son of poet A...

Gable, Clark

(Encyclopedia)Gable, Clark, 1901–60, American film actor, b. Cadiz, Ohio. He began his career in films in 1930 and soon after became a star. He won an Academy Award in 1934 for his brilliant comic performance in ...