Wall Allah \wa-Te-a-Ta\, Shah (b. 1702/03, Delhi—d. 1762, Delhi) Indian Islamic theologian. He received a traditional Islamic education, and after a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1732 he remained in the Hejaz to study theology. Living in a time of disillusionment following the death of Aurangzeb, he believed that Muslim polity could be restored only through religious reform that would harmonize Islam with India’s changing social and economic conditions. He was steadfastly monotheistic but otherwise much more liberal than most Islamic theologians that had preceded him. His best-known work is The Secrets of Belief. His synthesis of theology, philosophy, and mysticism so reinvigorated Islam that it became preva¬ lent among Islamic scholars in India until the 20th century.
Walker, Alice (Malsenior) (b. Feb. 9, 1944, Eatonton, Ga., U.S.) U.S. writer. After attending Spelman College and Sarah Lawrence Col¬ lege, Walker moved to Mississippi and became involved with the civil rights movement. She also began teaching and publishing short stories and essays. Her works are noted for their insightful treatment of African American culture. Her third and most popular novel. The Color Purple (1982, Pulitzer Prize; film, 1985), depicts a black woman’s struggle for racial and sexual equality. Her later novels include The Temple of My Familiar (1989) and Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992). She also wrote essays, some collected in In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens (1983); several books of poetry; short stories; and children’s books.
Walker, David (b. Sept. 28, 1785, Wilmington, N.C., U.S.—d. June 28, 1830, Boston, Mass.) U.S. abolitionist. The son of a slave father and a free mother, he was educated and traveled widely before settling in Boston, where he became an abolitionist lecturer and wrote for the anti¬ slavery Freedom’s Journal. In his pamphlet Appeal to the Colored Citi¬ zens of the World (1829), he called for armed revolt. He smuggled the pamphlet into the South by hiding copies in clothing that he sold to sail¬ ors from his used-clothes store in Boston. Warned to flee for his life to Canada, he refused, and his body was found soon after; many believed he was poisoned. His son, Edwin G. Walker, was elected to the Massa¬ chusetts legislature in 1866.
Walker, James J(ohn) known as Jimmy Walker (b. June 19, 1881, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. Nov. 18, 1946, New York City) U.S. politician. He entered politics after graduating from New York Law School, becoming a member of the Assembly (1909) and then of the State Senate (1914). Backed by Gov. Alfred E. Smith and Tammany Hall, he was elected mayor (1925-32). A popular figure known for his charm and wit but particularly for his enthusiastic participation in the high life typical of the era, he made improvements in sanitation, hospitals, and subways. In 1931 the state legislature, investigating the city’s affairs, charged Walker with corruption; he resigned in 1932.
Walker, Sarah Breedlove orig. Sarah Breedlove (b. Dec. 23, 1867, near Delta, La., U.S.—d. May 25, 1919, Irvington, N.Y.) U.S. busi¬ nesswoman and philanthropist, the first African American female million¬ aire. She was a widowed washerwoman with a daughter to support in 1905 when she developed a method for straightening curly hair. She founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Co. to sell her treatment, and her door- to-door saleswomen became familiar figures in the black communities of the U.S. and the Caribbean. In 1910 she moved her company to Indianapo¬ lis, Ind. She augmented her earnings with shrewd real-estate investments, and she donated two-thirds of her fortune to charitable and educational institutions. Her daughter, A’Lelia Walker Kennedy, hosted salons where artists and cultural figures mingled during the Harlem Renaissance.
Walker, William (b. May 8, 1824, Nashville, Tenn., U.S.—d. Sept. 12, 1860, Trujillo, Hond.) U.S. military adventurer. He moved to Cali¬ fornia (1850), where his interest in colonizing Baja California developed into a filibustering (insurrection) scheme. He landed at La Paz (1853) and proclaimed Lower California and Sonora an independent republic, but Mexican resistance forced him back to the U.S. In 1855 he sailed to Nica¬ ragua, where he effectively established himself as leader. There officers of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s Accessory Transit Co. promised him financial assistance in a plot to take the company away from Vanderbilt. Walker seized the company and turned it over to them, then made himself presi¬ dent of Nicaragua (1856). In 1857 Vanderbilt induced five Central Ameri¬ can republics to drive Walker out. In 1860 Walker attempted a filibuster in Honduras, where he was captured and executed.
Walker Cup Trophy awarded to the winner of a golf competition between amateur men’s teams from the U.S. and Britain. It has been held biennially since 1922 on sites alternating between the two countries. The
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walking ► Wallace I 2023
cup is named for the event’s organizer, George H. Walker, a president of the U.S. Golf Association. Contests consist of four 18-hole foursome matches and eight 18-hole singles matches on each of two days, with one point awarded to the winning side in each match.
walking In track and field, a form of racing in which the competitor’s advancing foot must touch the ground before the rear foot leaves it. Walk¬ ing as a sport dates from the later 19th century. Walking races of 10 mi and 3,500 m were added to the men’s Olympic program in 1908, but since 1956 the Olympic distances have been 20 km and 50 km. A women’s 10-km walk was introduced in 1992.
walking catfish Species ( Clarias batrachus) of Asian and African catfish that can progress remarkable distances over dry land. It uses its pectoral-fin spines as anchors to prevent jackknifing as its body muscu¬ lature produces snakelike movements. Treelike respiratory structures extending above the gill chambers enable it to breathe. It has been intro¬ duced into southern Florida, where it now poses a serious threat to native fauna.
walking leaf See leaf insect
wall Any of various upright constructions used to divide or enclose a room or building. In traditional masonry construction, bearing walls sup¬ ported the weight of floors and roofs, but modern steel and reinforced- concrete frames, as well as heavy timber and other skeletal structures, require exterior walls only for shelter. Some urban buildings dispense with walls on the ground floor, extending outdoor plazas under the building and permitting easier access to elevators, escalators, and stairs. In masonry construction, all types of floors and roofs except domes are most easily supported on straight, parallel walls. Nonbearing walls, used when loads are carried by girders, beams, or other members, can be either curtain walls or infill of brick, block, or other material. See also cavity wall, RETAINING WALL, SHEAR WALL.
Wall Street Street in New York City where many major U.S. financial institutions are located. The street, in southern Manhattan, is narrow and short and extends only about seven blocks from Broadway to the East River. It was named for an earthen wall built by Dutch settlers in 1653 to repel an expected English invasion. Even before the Civil War it was rec¬ ognized as the nation’s financial capital, and it remains a worldwide sym¬ bol of high finance. The Wall Street, or financial, district contains the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The district is also the headquarters for many investment banks, securities dealers, utilities and insurance companies, and brokerage firms.