Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Painlevé, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Painlevé, Paul pōl păNləvāˈ [key], 1863–1933, French statesman and mathematician. A mathematical prodigy when a child, he entered on a career devoted to science. He was a professor at the Sorb...

Paul II

(Encyclopedia)Paul II, 1417–71, pope (1464–71), a Venetian named Pietro Barbo; successor of Pius II. He was a nephew of Eugene IV. A Renaissance pope, he patronized printing, beautified and improved Rome, and c...

Paul III

(Encyclopedia)Paul III, 1468–1549, pope (1534–49), a Roman named Alessandro Farnese; successor of Clement VII. He was created cardinal by Alexander VI, and his influence increased steadily. A very astute church...

Paul IV

(Encyclopedia)Paul IV, 1476–1559, pope (1555–59), a Neapolitan named Gian Pietro Carafa; successor of Marcellus II. First superior of the Theatines (see Cajetan, Saint), he was sternly ascetic. A leading reform...

Paul, Alice

(Encyclopedia)Paul, Alice, 1885–1977, American feminist, b. Moorestown, N.J. She helped found the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (1913), which became the National Woman's party (1917). After the passage o...

Paul, Jean

(Encyclopedia)Paul, Jean: see Richter, Johann Paul Friedrich. ...

Paul, Les

(Encyclopedia)Paul, Les, 1915–2009, American guitarist and inventor, b. Waukesha, Wis., as Lester William Polsfuss (later Polfuss). He began playing country music a...

Paul, Wolfgang

(Encyclopedia)Paul, Wolfgang, 1913–93, German physicist, Ph.D. Technical Univ., Berlin, 1939. A professor at the Univ. of Bonn from 1952, Paul developed an ion-trap technique (known as the Paul trap), which made ...

Paul Knutson

(Encyclopedia)Paul Knutson no͞otsˈən [key], fl. 1354–64, Norse leader, alleged explorer of America. In 1354 or 1355 King Magnus VII of Norway directed him to conduct an expedition to Greenland to insure the co...

Robeson, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Robeson, Paul rōbˈsən [key], 1898–1976, American actor and bass singer, b. Princeton, N.J. The son of a runaway slave who became a minister, Robeson graduated first from Rutgers (1919), where he ...