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Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. vŏnˈəgət [key] 1922–2007, American novelist, b. Indianapolis. After serving in World War II, he worked as a police reporter and wrote short stories for mainstream and science...

Brownell, Herbert, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Brownell, Herbert, Jr. brounĕlˈ [key], 1904–96, U.S. attorney general (1953–57), b. Peru, Nebr. A lawyer in private practice in New York City (1927–53, 1957–89), he became active in the Repu...

Brewster, Kingman, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Brewster, Kingman, Jr., 1919–88, American educator and public official, b. Longmeadow, Mass., grad. Yale (A.B., 1941) and Harvard (LL.B., 1948). He was a professor of law at Harvard (1950–60) and ...

Spinks, Leon, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Spinks, Leon, Jr. 1953-2021, American boxer, b. St. Louis, Mo. Spinks began boxing at age 13, dropping out of high school in his junior year to join the...

Bedford, Gunning, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Bedford, Gunning, Jr., 1747–1812, American political leader, b. Philadelphia. Settling in Delaware, Bedford became a member of the local legislature, attorney general (1784–89), and a delegate to ...

Shippen, William, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Shippen, William, Jr., 1736–1808, American surgeon, b. Philadelphia, M.D. Edinburgh, 1761. A pioneer lecturer on anatomy and midwifery, he was instrumental in the organization (1765) at the College ...

Ripken, Cal, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Ripken, Cal, Jr. (Calvin Edward Ripken, Jr.), 1960–, American baseball player, b. Havre de Grace, Md. The son of a long-time coach and manager in the Baltimore Orioles organization, he joined the te...

Dix, Otto

(Encyclopedia)Dix, Otto, 1891–1969, German painter and draftsman. Dix fought in World War I and returned to Düsseldorf haunted by the horrors he had witnessed. In 1924 he published War, a series of 50 etchings, ...

Hahn, Otto

(Encyclopedia)Hahn, Otto ôˈtō hän [key], 1879–1968, German chemist and physicist. His important contributions in the field of radioactivity include the discovery of several radioactive substances, the develop...

Jespersen, Otto

(Encyclopedia)Jespersen, Otto ŏˈtō yĕsˈpərsən [key], 1860–1943, Danish philologist. Professor of English language and literature at the Univ. of Copenhagen and later rector there, Jespersen first earned a ...

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