Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Perkins, Frances

(Encyclopedia)Perkins, Frances, 1882–1965, U.S. Secretary of Labor (1933–45), b. Boston. She worked at Hull House, was executive secretary of the New York Consumers' League (1910–12) and of the New York Commi...

Burbank, Luther

(Encyclopedia)Burbank, Luther bûrˈbănk [key], 1849–1926, American plant breeder, b. Lancaster, Mass. He experimented with thousands of plant varieties and developed many new ones, including new varieties of pr...

Flynn, Edward Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Flynn, Edward Joseph, 1892–1953, American political leader, b. New York City. He practiced law in New York City and served (1917–21) in the New York state legislature. Flynn became leader of the D...

Hunter, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Hunter, Robert, d. 1734, royal governor of New York and New Jersey (1709–19), b. Ayrshire, Scotland. His administration was notably successful. He maintained a vigorous campaign against the French a...

Sears, Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Sears, Isaac, c.1730–86, American Revolutionary leader, b. West Brewster, Mass. A merchant sea captain, Sears won a reputation as a daring privateer during the French and Indian War. He was a leader...

Tompkins, Daniel D.

(Encyclopedia)Tompkins, Daniel D., 1774–1825, American political figure, Vice President of the United States (1817–25), b. Scarsdale, N.Y. A leader of the Jeffersonian group in New York state, he was elected to...

Smith, Alfred Emanuel

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873–1944, American political leader, b. New York City. Reared in poor surroundings, he had no formal education beyond grade school and took various jobs—including work in t...

Hone, Philip

(Encyclopedia)Hone, Philip, 1780–1851, American diarist and politician, b. New York City. With his brother he built up a successful auctioneering business, which he later abandoned for politics. He was mayor of N...

Flagg, James Montgomery

(Encyclopedia)Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877–1960, American painter, illustrator, and author, b. Pelham Manor, N.Y. He studied in New York City, in England, and in Paris. Returning to New York, he rapidly won a re...

Damrosch, Leopold

(Encyclopedia)Damrosch, Leopold, 1832–85, German conductor. After taking a degree in medicine, he became (1857) first violinist in the ducal orchestra at Weimar, where he was a friend of Liszt and Wagner. In 1871...