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Butler, Nicholas Murray

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Nicholas Murray, 1862–1947, American educator, president of Columbia Univ. (1902–45), b. Elizabeth, N.J., grad. Columbia (B.A., 1882; Ph.D., 1884). Holding a Columbia fellowship, he studie...

Rutte, Mark

(Encyclopedia)Rutte, Mark rŭtˈtə [key], 1967–, Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands (2010–), b. The Hague. He studied at Leiden Univ. (M.A., 1992), where he joined the youth organization of th...

Lamar, Mirabeau Buonaparte

(Encyclopedia)Lamar, Mirabeau Buonaparte mĭrˈəbōˌ bōˈnəpärtˌ [key], 1798–1859, president of the Texas republic (1838–41), b. Warren co., Ga. He went to Texas (1835), joined the revolutionaries, and to...

Jawara, Sir Dawda Kairaba

(Encyclopedia)Jawara, Sir Dawda Kairaba douˈdə kīräˈbə jäwärˈə [key], 1924–2019, president of Gambia (1970–94). A veterinarian, he became active in politics in 1960 and leader of the People's Progress...

Scott, Thomas Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Scott, Thomas Alexander, 1823–81, American railroad president, b. Fort Loudon, Pa. He was employed by the Pennsylvania RR as a station agent in 1850 and rose to become general superintendent (1858) ...

Hobby, Oveta Culp

(Encyclopedia)Hobby, Oveta Culp, 1905–95, American public official and newspaper publisher, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (1953–55), b. Killeen, Tex. She served as parliamentarian of the Texas...

Whitlam, Gough

(Encyclopedia)Whitlam, Gough gŏf [key], 1916–2014, Australian political leader. Edward Gough Whitlam studied law and entered practice near Sydney after serving in World War II. A member of the Labour party, he w...

Radić, Stjepan

(Encyclopedia)Radić, Stjepan stĕˈfän [key], 1871–1928, Croatian politician. Of peasant origin, he early became active in politics and founded (1905) the Croatian Peasant party. In 1918 he opposed the union of...

Yameen, Abdullah

(Encyclopedia)Yameen, Abdullah (Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom), 1959–, Maldivian politician, president of the Maldives (2013–18). The half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was president from 1978 to 2008, Ya...

National Defense Education Act

(Encyclopedia)National Defense Education Act (NDEA), federal legislation passed in 1958 providing aid to education in the United States at all levels, public and private. NDEA was instituted primarily to stimulate ...

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