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2062 I Williams ► Wilson
the Iguana (1961; film, 1964), describe a world of repressed sexuality and violence thinly veiled by gentility. He also wrote the novel The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1950; film, 1961) and the screenplays for The Rose Tattoo (1955, adapted from his 1951 play) and Baby Doll (1956). A clear¬ sighted chronicler of fragile illusions, he is regarded as one of the great¬ est American playwrights.
Williams, Venus; and Williams, Serena (respectively b. June 17, 1980, Lynwood, Calif., U.S.; b. Sept. 26, 1981, Saginaw, Mich.) U.S. tennis players. The sisters were introduced to the sport by their father, who recognized their talent early on. Venus turned professional in 1994, and Serena followed suit a year later. Possessing powerful ground strokes and superb athleticism, the sisters were soon dominating women’s pro¬ fessional tennis. Serena won the U.S. Open in 1999, and Venus won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001. In 2002 Serena won the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, defeating Venus in the finals of each tournament. Serena captured her first Australian Open in 2003 and later in the year defended her Wimbledon title. In 2005 Serena won her second Australian Open, and Venus captured her third Wimble¬ don title.
Williams, William Carlos (b. Sept. 17, 1883, Rutherford, N.J., U.S.—d. March 4, 1963, Rutherford) U.S. poet. Trained as a pediatrician, Williams wrote poetry and practiced medicine in his hometown. He is noted for making the ordinary appear extraordinary through clear and dis¬ crete imagery, as in the fresh and direct impressions of the sensuous world expressed in “The Red Wheelbarrow,” from Spring and All (1923). Pater¬ son (1946-58), a five-part long poem, evokes a complex vision of mod¬ ern American life. In 1963 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Pictures from Brueghel (1962). His numerous prose works include essays, a trilogy of novels, short stories, drama, and autobiography.
Williams College Private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Mass. Established in 1793 and affiliated with the Congregational church, it has since become nondenominational. Williams has consistently rated as one of the best colleges in the U.S., offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in fine and applied arts and sciences. Campus facilities include notable collections of American, contemporary, and South Asian art and materials relating to U.S. history. Notable alumni include director Elia Kazan.
William's War, King See King William's War
Williamsburg City (pop., 2000: 11,998), southeastern Virginia, U.S. Located on a tidewater peninsula between the James and York rivers, it was settled in 1633 as Middle Plantation and served as a refuge from Indian attacks. The College of William and Mary was founded there in 1693. After the burning of nearby Jamestown in 1699, it became the capi¬ tal of Virginia until 1780, when the capital was moved to Richmond. Dur¬ ing the American Civil War, Confederate forces were defeated at the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862. Colonial Williamsburg, an extensive restoration of several hundred colonial buildings, was begun in 1926 and became part of the Colonial National Historical Park in 1936.
Willkie, Wendell L(ewis) (b. Feb. 18, 1892, Elwood, Ind., U.S.—d. Oct. 8, 1944, New York, N.Y.) U.S. politician. He moved to New York City in 1929 to become an attorney for the Commonwealth and Southern Corp., of which he was later president (1933-40). He led the opposition of utilities companies to competition from the federally funded Tennes¬ see Valley Authority. His criticism of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt led to his dark-horse victory at the 1940 Republican Party presidential convention. After a vigorous campaign, he won only 10 states but received more than 22 million popular votes, the largest number received by a Republican to that time. After a worldwide tour, he wrote One World (1943), a best¬ selling plea for postwar international cooperation.
willow Any shrub or tree of the genus Salix, family Salicaceae, native mostly to northern temperate regions, and common in lowland and marshy areas. Willows are valued as ornamentals and for their shade, erosion control, and timber. Certain species yield salicin, the source of salicylic acid used in pain relievers. All species have alternate, usually narrow leaves, catkins, and seeds with long, silky hairs. Pussy willows, the male form of several shrubby species, have woolly catkins that form before the leaves appear and are considered one of the first signs of spring. Weeping willows have long drooping branches and leaves. Several spe¬ cies grow as small matted woody plants on the tundra. See photograph opposite.
willow herb Any of about 200 plants that make up the genus Epilo- bium, of the evening primrose family, especially fireweed ( E. angustifolium; also called great willow herb). The young parts of some species can be cooked and eaten as potherbs. The plants are sometimes cultivated but must be carefully confined. The hairy willow herb, or codling-and-cream (E. hirsutum ), is similar to fireweed but has hairy leaves and stalks and notched flower petals; in eastern North America it quickly establishes itself on cleared land. Rock fringe ( E. obcordatum ) is a low-growing form from the western U.S.
Wills, Bob orig. James Robert Wills (b. March 6,1905, near Kosse, Texas, U.S.—d. May 13, 1975, Fort Worth, Texas) U.S. country music fid¬ dler, singer, and songwriter. Wills learned fiddle from his father. In Tulsa, Okla., in 1934 he formed the Texas Playboys; their radio performances made him a star in the Southwest, and in 1942 the group moved to Cali¬ fornia, performing in dance halls and films. They pioneered the “western swing” genre, which blended traditional hoedown fiddling with big-band swing and blues. Wills’s best-known compositions include “San Antonio Rose” and “Panhandle Rag.”
Wills, Helen (Newington) or Helen Wills Moody in full Helen Newington Wills Moody Roark (b. Oct. 6, 1905, Centerville, Calif., U.S.—d. Jan. 1, 1998, Carmel, Calif.) U.S. tennis player. She won the first of seven U.S. singles titles in 1923. She took the gold medal in both singles and doubles at the 1924 Olympic Games. So overpowering was her game that from 1927 to 1932 she won every set she played in U.S. singles play. She took the Wimbledon title eight times (1927-30, 1932,1933, 1935, 1938), a record only broken in 1990 by Martina Navra¬ tilova.
Wilmington City (pop., 2000: 72,664), northern Delaware, U.S. Located at the junction of the Delaware and Christina rivers, it is the state’s largest city and its industrial, financial, and commercial centre and main port. The oldest permanent settlement in the Delaware valley, it was settled by Swedes in 1638. Called Fort Christina, it was captured by Peter Stuyvesant’s Dutch forces in 1655; they were ousted by the English in 1664. A prosperous port after the Quakers moved there in the 1730s, it was renamed Wilmington in 1739. During the American Revolution the Battle of the Brandywine was fought nearby. In 1802 E.I. du Pont estab¬ lished a gunpowder mill there (see DuPont Co.).
Wilmot Proviso Vpra-'vI-.zoV (1846) Proposal in the U.S. Congress to prohibit the extension of slavery to the territories. Offered by Rep. David Wilmot (1814-68) as an amendment to a bill that purchased territory from Mexico, it prohibited slavery in the new territory. The proviso provoked a national debate that reflected the growing sectional discord between North and South. Despite repeated attempts, the Wilmot Proviso was never passed by both houses of Congress. Nevertheless, the principle became a basic tenet of the Republican Party.