Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Rainwater, James

(Encyclopedia)Rainwater, James, 1917–86, American physicist, Ph.D. Columbia, 1946. After working on the Manhattan Project as a student during World War II, he became a professor of physics at Columbia in 1952. Hi...

Otis, James

(Encyclopedia)Otis, James, 1725–83, American colonial political leader, b. Barnstable co., Mass. A lawyer first in Plymouth and then in Boston, he won great distinction and served (1756–61) as advocate general ...

Brown, James

(Encyclopedia)Brown, James, 1933–2006, African-American rhythm-and-blues singer known as the “godfather of soul,” b. Barnwell, S.C., as James Joe Brown, Jr. Abandoned by his parents, he left school in the sev...

Allen, James Lane

(Encyclopedia)Allen, James Lane, 1849–1925, American novelist, b. Lexington, Kentucky. Among his stylized, “genteel” novels set in his native region are A Kentucky Cardinal (1894), Aftermath (1895), and The C...

Harrod, James

(Encyclopedia)Harrod, James, 1742–93, American frontiersman, b. Bedford co., Pa. He fought in the French and Indian Wars and in 1773 made a journey down the Ohio River to Kentucky. In 1774 he returned to Kentucky...

Cagney, James

(Encyclopedia)Cagney, James, 1899–1986, American movie actor, b. New York City. He worked on Broadway as an actor and dancer before appearing in films. He is best remembered as a brash, sadistic, tough guy in suc...

Barron, James

(Encyclopedia)Barron, James, 1768–1851, U.S. naval officer, b. Hampton, Va. Of a seafaring family, he served in the Virginia navy in the Revolution, entered the U.S. navy as a lieutenant in 1798, and held command...

Ticknor, William Davis

(Encyclopedia)Ticknor, William Davis, 1810–64, American publisher. John Reed and James T. Fields became Ticknor's partners in Boston, and their firm is best known as Ticknor and Fields. They published the works o...

Cozzens, James Gould

(Encyclopedia)Cozzens, James Gould kŭzˈənz [key], 1903–78, American novelist, b. Chicago. His novels usually concern upper-middle-class professional men who are faced with moral dilemmas that require compromis...

Huneker, James Gibbons

(Encyclopedia)Huneker, James Gibbons hŭnˈĭkər [key], 1860–1921, American essayist and music critic, b. Philadelphia. The originality and pungency of his style and the soundness of his criticism made him one o...