Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Heller, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Heller, Joseph, 1923–99, American writer, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Heller is best known for his first novel, Catch-22 (1961). Set in World War II, it is a darkly humorous commentary on the illogic of war a...

Machebeuf, Joseph Projectus

(Encyclopedia)Machebeuf, Joseph Projectus zhôzĕfˈ prôzhĕktüsˈ mäshböfˈ [key], 1812–89, French missionary in the American Southwest, a Roman Catholic priest. He was a friend and associate of Jean Baptist...

Chaumonot, Joseph Marie

(Encyclopedia)Chaumonot, Joseph Marie zhôzĕfˈ märēˈ shōmônōˈ [key], 1611–93, French Jesuit missionary to the New World. He arrived in 1639 in Quebec. He worked first with Brébeuf among the Huron near G...

Davies, Joseph Edward

(Encyclopedia)Davies, Joseph Edward dāˈvēz [key], 1876–1958, American diplomat, b. Watertown, Wis. Admitted to the bar in 1901, he was commissioner of corporations (1913–15) and chairman (1915–16) of the F...

Davisson, Clinton Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Davisson, Clinton Joseph dāˈvĭsən [key], 1881–1958, American physicist, b. Bloomington, Ill. He joined the engineering department of the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1917. Davisson worked on t...

Flaherty, Robert Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Flaherty, Robert Joseph flăˈərtē [key], 1884–1951, American explorer and film producer. He was born in Michigan and grew up in Canada. He explored (1910–16) subarctic E Canada and in 1922 comp...

Jacquard, Joseph Marie

(Encyclopedia)Jacquard, Joseph Marie zhôzĕfˈ märēˈ zhäkärˈ [key], 1752–1834, French inventor, whose loom is of the greatest importance in modern mechanical figure weaving. After several years of experime...

Fouché, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Fouché, Joseph zhôzĕfˈ fo͞oshāˈ [key], b. 1759 or 1763, d. 1820, French revolutionary and minister of police. A teacher in the schools of the Oratorian order, he joined the French Revolution an...

Paul-Boncour, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Paul-Boncour, Joseph zhôzĕfˈ pōl-bôNko͞orˈ [key], 1873–1972, French statesman. Although a Socialist, he remained independent of party ties from 1931 to 1945. He was permanent French delegate ...

Garat, Dominique Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Garat, Dominique Joseph dōmēnēkˈ zhôzĕfˈ gäräˈ [key], 1749–1833, French revolutionary. He was minister of justice (1792–93) during the trial of King Louis XVI and notified the king of th...