Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

250 results found

Bernanke, Ben Shalom

(Encyclopedia)Bernanke, Ben Shalom bĕrnăngkˈē [key], 1953–, U.S. economist and government official, b. Augusta, Ga.; grad. Harvard (B.A., 1975), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 1979). He was a p...

Ryti, Risto

(Encyclopedia)Ryti, Risto rēˈstō rüˈtē [key], 1889–1956, Finnish political leader. In 1919 he was elected to the Finnish diet. He later served as minister of finance (1921–24) and as governor of the Bank ...

commercial paper

(Encyclopedia)commercial paper, type of short-term negotiable instrument, usually an unsecured promissory note, that calls for the payment of money at a specified date. Because it is not backed by collateral, comme...

Psalmanazar, George

(Encyclopedia)Psalmanazar, George sălˌmənāˈzər [key], 1679?–1763, English literary imposter. His real name is not known. Born and educated in France, he developed a marked ability in learning languages. He ...

Gallieni, Joseph Simon

(Encyclopedia)Gallieni, Joseph Simon zhôzĕfˈ sēmôNˈ gälyānēˈ [key], 1849–1916, French general and colonial administrator. He served well in the Sudan and Tonkin and, as governor-general (1896–1905), s...

Hilleman, Maurice Ralph

(Encyclopedia)Hilleman, Maurice Ralph, 1919–2005, American microbiologist, regarded as the father of modern vaccinology, b. Miles City, Mont., Ph.D Univ. of Chicago, 1941. He joined E. R. Squibb and Sons in 1944,...

Adams, John Couch

(Encyclopedia)Adams, John Couch, 1819–92, English astronomer, grad. St. John's College, Cambridge, 1843. By mathematical calculation based on irregularities in the motion of Uranus, he predicted the position of t...

Weill, Sanford I.

(Encyclopedia)Weill, Sanford I. wīl [key], 1933–, American business executive, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. A graduate of Cornell (1955), Sandy Weill went to work for a New York brokerage house, and in 1960 helped found a ...

Campbell, Kim

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, Kim (Avril Phaedra Campbell), 1947–, Canadian political leader, prime minister of Canada (1993), b. Port Alberni, British Columbia. A litigation lawyer and originally a member of the Socia...

Weir, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Weir, Peter wēr [key], 1944–, Australian film director, b. Sydney. His early work helped to bring Australian film to world attention; his later films, made in Hollywood, mingle American movie techn...