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Biographical Sources

African-American Almanac. 8th ed.

Smith, Jessie Carney and Joseph M. Palmisano.. (Gale, 2000)
McNichols Campus Library
Ref E 185 .P55 2000

American National Biography

Garraty, John A., Mark C. Carnes, eds,. (Oxford University Press, 1999)
McNichols Campus Library
CT 213.A68 1999

Successor to the Dictionary of American Biography, with a much broader criteria for inclusion--there are many more women and minorities. All subjects in this work are deceased before 1996. 25 volumes

The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922 Volumes 3-5

Burton, Clarence. (S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.,1922)
McNichols Campus Library
F 574 D4 D81

A five volume set on the history of Detroit. Volumes 3-5 are biography.

The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. 4th ed.

DeGregorio, William A.. (Red Dembner Enterprises Corp., 1984)
McNichols Campus Library
Ref 176.1 .D43 1984

Dictionary of American Biography

(Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928)
McNichols Campus Library
E 176 .D56

A scholarly source that is more selective then the National Cyclopedia of Biography, and easier to use. Criteria for inclusion state the person must have lived in the "territory known as the U.S." and be deceased. There are more then 13,600 biographies ending in 1970. 22 volumes + 8 supplements.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography

(University of Toronto Press, 1966-)
McNichols Campus Library
F 1005.D49

National Cyclopedia of American Biography

(James T. White & Company, 1893-1984)
McNichols Campus Library
E 176 .N28

More then 66,500 articles are in this set. Deceased persons are listed in the permanant series, living persons in the 'current' series. As this set is quite old, the majority are deceased. Articles can be lengthy, but are like 'Who's Who' in content. Includes portraits. Individual entries are not organized in any fashion, so it is important to use the index in each volume, or the index to the set. 62 volumes + volumes A-N63.

New York Times Obituaries Index, 1858-1968

(New York Times, 1970)
McNichols Campus Library
CT 213 .N47

This source brings together in a single listing, all of the names listed under the heading "Deaths" in the New York Times Index from September 1858 to December 1968, totaling about 353,000 names.

Notable American women, 1607-1950 : a biographical dictionary, 3 volumes

James, Edward. Editor. (BelknapPress of Harvard University Press, 1971)
McNichols Campus Library
CT 3260 .N57

Scholarly articles on 1,350 women, starting with the American Colonies and ending with those who died no later than 1950.

Notable American Women: the modern period, a biographical dictionary

Sicherman, Barbara and Carol Hurd Green, editors. (Balknap Press of Harvard University, 1980)
McNichols Campus Library
CT 3260 .N573

A supplement to the volumes listed above. Includes the biographies of 442 women who died between 1951 and 1975. Each article covers basic information about the woman's life, critical data, ancestry, parents, education, etc, plus a list of works by and about the subject.

Research Guide to American Historical Biography

Muccigrosso, Robert. (Beachem Publishing, 1988)
McNichols Campus Library
CT 214 .R47 1988

Describes and evaluates the most important secondary and primary sources on 278 American historical figures. Each person is described with a chronology, activities of historical significance, with an overview and evaluation of sources and historical landmarks and societies. 5 volumes.

A Woman of the Century: fourteen hundred seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading women in all walks of life

willard, Frances E. & Mary A. Livermore, editors. (Gale Research, 1967)
McNichols Campus Library
E 176 .W691 1967

A reprint of a work that was originally published in 1893. It is a compilation of biographical articles about women who lived during the late nineteenth century. Much of the information would otherwise be difficult to come by. The antique prose and portrait illustrations make this an interesting source to consult.

Women Who Ruled.

Jackson, Guilda M.. (ABC-CLIO, 1990)
McNichols Campus Library
D 107 .J33 1990

Short articles up to a page in length on "all women rulers, de facto rulars, and constitutional monarchs, living or deceased, of the world's kingdoms, islands, empires, nations, and tribes since the beginning of recorded history."

Cindy Gilham

Associate Librarian
Reference Services
McNichols Campus Library

gillhaca@udmercy.edu
313-993-1810

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