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Ford, John, American film director

(Encyclopedia)Ford, John, 1895–1973, American film director, b. Cape Elizabeth, Maine, as John Martin Feeney. Ford began directing in 1917 after an apprenticeship with his brother Francis. Over the next 50 years,...

Jay, William

(Encyclopedia)Jay, William, 1789–1858, American jurist and reformer, b. New York City; son of John Jay. For most of the period from 1818 to 1843 he served as judge of the county court of Westchester co., N.Y. An ...

Washington, Bushrod

(Encyclopedia)Washington, Bushrod, 1762–1829, American jurist, b. Westmoreland co., Va.; nephew of George Washington. He was an original member of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary, where he was g...

Lamar, Joseph Rucker

(Encyclopedia)Lamar, Joseph Rucker ləmärˈ [key], 1857–1916, American jurist, b. Elbert co., Ga. He was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1878, served (1886–89) in the state legislature, and compiled The Code of...

Richardson, William Adams

(Encyclopedia)Richardson, William Adams, 1821–96, American jurist and U.S. secretary of the Treasury, b. Tyngsboro, Mass. Admitted to the bar in 1846, he helped to codify the statute law of Massachusetts in 1855....

Fuller, Melville Weston

(Encyclopedia)Fuller, Melville Weston, 1833–1910, American jurist, 8th chief justice of the United States (1888–1910), b. Augusta, Maine. He studied at Harvard law school, and after 1856 he became a prominent l...

Griswold, Matthew

(Encyclopedia)Griswold, Matthew grĭzˈwəld [key], 1714–99, American jurist and politician, b. Lyme, Conn. Admitted to the bar in 1743, he was very learned in the law and was active in Connecticut politics. As d...

Morris, Robert, 1734–1806, American merchant

(Encyclopedia)Morris, Robert, 1734–1806, American merchant, known as the “financier of the American Revolution,” and signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Liverpool, England. Morris emigrated to Ameri...

Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation

(Encyclopedia)Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation: see National Museum of the American Indian. ...

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...