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Van Vleck, John Hasbrouck

(Encyclopedia)Van Vleck, John Hasbrouck, 1899–1980, American physicist, b. Middletown, Conn., Ph.D. Harvard, 1922. As a professor at Harvard, Van Vleck developed fundamental theories on the quantum mechanics of m...

Oldenbarneveldt, Johan van

(Encyclopedia)Oldenbarneveldt, Johan van yōhänˈ vän ôlˌdənbärˈnəvĕlt [key], 1547–1619, Dutch statesman. He aided William the Silent in the struggle for Dutch independence from Spain and opposed the dic...

Woestijne, Karel van de

(Encyclopedia)Woestijne, Karel van de käˈrəl vän də vo͞oˈstīnə [key], 1878–1929, Flemish symbolist poet and novelist. He also had some reputation as a painter. He worked for a time as journalist and from...

Van Rensselaer, Martha

(Encyclopedia)Van Rensselaer, Martha, 1864–1932, American home economist and pioneer in the development of extension courses for women in rural areas, b. Randolph, N.Y. In 1900 she joined the faculty of Cornell t...

Van Rompuy, Herman Achille

(Encyclopedia)Van Rompuy, Herman Achille, 1947–, Belgian statesman, b. Etterbeek. A Flemish Christian Democrat, he was president of the party from 1988 to 1993 and was a member of Belgium's parliament, serving in...

van't Hoff, Jacobus Hendricus

(Encyclopedia)van't Hoff, Jacobus Hendricus yäkōˈbəs hĕndrēˈkəs vänt hôf [key], 1852–1911, Dutch physical chemist. He taught at the universities of Amsterdam (1878–96) and Berlin (from 1896). For his ...

Van Rensselaer, Stephen

(Encyclopedia)Van Rensselaer, Stephen, 1764–1839, American political leader and soldier, called the Patroon, b. New York City. He spent some years managing his property, which included most of the present-day Alb...

Kendal, Ehrengard Melusina von der Schulenburg, duchess of

(Encyclopedia)Kendal, Ehrengard Melusina von der Schulenburg, duchess of: see Schulenburg, Ehrengard Melusina von der, duchess of Kendal. ...

Van Druten, John William

(Encyclopedia)Van Druten, John William văn dro͞oˈtən [key], 1901–57, English dramatist. His best-known plays, primarily light comedies, include Old Acquaintance (1940), The Voice of the Turtle (1943), I Remem...

Vondel, Joost van den

(Encyclopedia)Vondel, Joost van den yōst vän dĕn vônˈdəl [key], 1587–1679, Dutch poet and dramatist, b. Cologne. He is generally considered the greatest Dutch writer. During the emergence of the Dutch natio...