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Runyon, Damon

(Encyclopedia)Runyon, Damon (Alfred Damon Runyon), 1884–1946, American short story writer and journalist, b. Manhattan, Kans. He is best known for his humorous stories—written in a picturesque, slangy journalis...

Crittenden, George Bibb

(Encyclopedia)Crittenden, George Bibb krĭtˈəndən [key], 1812–80, Confederate general, b. Russellville, Ky.; son of John J. Crittenden and brother of Thomas L. Crittenden. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, h...

Goodspeed, Edgar Johnson

(Encyclopedia)Goodspeed, Edgar Johnson, 1871–1962, American Greek scholar, b. Quincy, Ill., grad. Denison Univ. (B.A., 1890; D.D., 1928) and Univ. of Chicago (B.D., 1897; Ph.D., 1898). He taught at the Univ. of C...

Grace, William Russell

(Encyclopedia)Grace, William Russell, 1832–1904, American financier, b. Queenstown, Ireland. He was in business in England and Peru before establishing (1865) W. R. Grace & Company in New York City. After Per...

Derzhavin, Gavril Romanovich

(Encyclopedia)Derzhavin, Gavril Romanovich gəvrēlˈ rəmäˈnəvĭch dyĭrzhäˈvĭn [key], 1743–1816, Russian classical poet. His satirical ode to Catherine II, Felitsa (1782), won her favor, and he became poe...

Pollock, Oliver

(Encyclopedia)Pollock, Oliver, 1737–1823, American merchant, b. Ireland. He arrived in America at the age of 23 and became a successful merchant. After moving to New Orleans, Pollock speculated advantageously in ...

Propertius, Sextus

(Encyclopedia)Propertius, Sextus sĕkˈstəs prōpûrˈshəs [key], c.50 b.c.–c.16 b.c., Roman elegiac poet, b. Umbria. He was a member of the circle of Maecenas. A master of the Latin elegy, he wrote with vigor,...

Pryor, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Pryor, Richard, 1940–2005, American comedian, b. Peoria, Ill. His iconoclastic, wildly inventive, and racially explosive comic style was expressed in language that was often crude and frequently bri...

Hood, Raymond Mathewson

(Encyclopedia)Hood, Raymond Mathewson, 1881–1934, American architect, b. Pawtucket, R.I. He studied at Brown Univ., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. In 1922 he was the ...

Dooley, Thomas Anthony

(Encyclopedia)Dooley, Thomas Anthony, 1927–61, American physician and author, b. St. Louis, Mo., grad. Univ. of Notre Dame, M.D. St. Louis Univ., 1953. In 1954, Dooley supervised the care and treatment of thousan...