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societies, learned and literary

(Encyclopedia)societies, learned and literary, associations of individuals with a common professional interest, intended to promote learning. Many societies publish the proceedings of their meetings as well as jour...

McMaster, John Bach

(Encyclopedia)McMaster, John Bach, 1852–1932, American historian, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Having practiced engineering in New York City and written two books, McMaster was appointed (1877) an instructor in civil engine...

Winthrop, John, 1714–79, American scientist

(Encyclopedia)Winthrop, John, 1714–79, American scientist, b. Boston, Mass., grad. Harvard, 1732. Because of his study of earthquakes, he is sometimes called the founder of seismology. He made scientific observat...

House Un-American Activities Committee

(Encyclopedia)House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a committee (1938–75) of the U.S. House of Representatives, created to investigate disloyalty and subversive organizations. Its first chairman, Martin ...

Leopold and Loeb

(Encyclopedia)Leopold and Loeb lōb [key], notorious American murderers defended by Clarence Darrow in 1924. The gregarious, dominating Richard A. Loeb (1905–1936) and the shy, submissive Nathan F. Leopold, Jr. (...

Commager, Henry Steele

(Encyclopedia)Commager, Henry Steele kŏmˈĭjər [key], 1902–98, American historian, b. Pittsburgh, Pa. He received his Ph.D. from the Univ. of Chicago in 1928 and taught history at New York Univ. (1926–38), C...

Adams, James Truslow

(Encyclopedia)Adams, James Truslow trŭˈslō [key], 1878–1949, American historian, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. The Founding of New England (1921), which brought him the Pulitzer Prize in history for 1922, was followed by ...

Brinton, Crane

(Encyclopedia)Brinton, Crane (Clarence Crane Brinton), 1898–1968, American historian, b. Winsted, Conn. He received his Ph.D. from Oxford in 1923 and began teaching at Harvard the same year, becoming full profess...

Held, Julius Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Held, Julius Samuel, 1905–2002, American art historian, b. Germany. Held immigrated to the United States in 1934. In 1937 he began to teach at Barnard College, where he was professor of art history ...

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