When someone mentions the NBA Finals, you might think of Jordan or Kobe slashing their way to the rim. Or, more recently, the video game-like exploits of three-point assassin Steph Curry. You're less likely to think of a sub-6-foot, visually-impaired, cigarette-smoking Irish-American political operative. And yet these supreme athletes were indeed pouring their sweat and souls … [Read more...] about Larry O’Brien: A Perennial NBA Champion
Ray Cavanaugh
Kate Gleason: A Century Ahead of Her Time
Even in recent decades, women engineers have at times felt like they're trying to make it in an “old boy's club.” But back in the era of Kate Gleason, a woman with engineering knowledge was remarkably rare. Gleason was born in Rochester, New York, on Nov. 24, 1865. According to findagrave.com, her father, William Gleason, was from Tipperary, and her mother, Ellen Gleason née … [Read more...] about Kate Gleason: A Century Ahead of Her Time
Arthur O’Shaughnessy: Reluctant Herpetologist, Ardent “Music Maker”
He is best known for one part of one poem he published in 1873. Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s “Ode” (which is also referred to by its opening line, “We are the music makers”) actually consists of nine stanzas, but the first three stanzas are the ones of enduring popularity; the rest of the poem, in fact, is typically omitted when appearing in anthologies. But the three opening … [Read more...] about Arthur O’Shaughnessy: Reluctant Herpetologist, Ardent “Music Maker”
Dion Boucicault: Drama and Melodrama in Both Art and Life
IA Newsletter December 18, 2021
For someone whose New York Times obituary described him as the 19th century's “most conspicuous” English-language dramatist, Dion Boucicault all but vanished in subsequent eras. During his career, though, his plays were sometimes wildly successful, and he also made an impact in the domain of copyright laws for dramatists. At the same time, he was liable to make unwise … [Read more...] about Dion Boucicault: Drama and Melodrama in Both Art and Life
Daniel Shays and the 1786 Protest Against Economic and Civil Rights Injustices
Though it was far from successful, Shays' Rebellion – which spanned several months during the latter part of 1786 and early 1787 – certainly captured everyone's attention. Some, such as Thomas Jefferson, felt that “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” But others, such as George Washington, considered it a serious threat to the stability of a nascent … [Read more...] about Daniel Shays and the 1786 Protest Against Economic and Civil Rights Injustices





