Biography

To locate books or other materials held in the Boston University Libraries by or about a particular individual, you will need to do both an author and a subject search by the name of the individual in the online Catalog. An author search under the name Walker Alice will locate books written by author Alice Walker. A subject search of Walker Alice will locate books about Alice Walker, including bibliographies, biographies, works of criticism and interpretation, and books on her political and social views.

Indexes and Full Text Sources || Dictionaries and Encyclopedias || Bibliographies || Internet and Other Sources

INDEXES AND FULL TEXT SOURCES.

An Annotated Index of Medieval Women. 1992.: 1500 entries on women from more than 30 countries. Spans the years 800 to 1600 with an emphasis on 13th and 14th century England and France. Contains brief biographies and numerous indexes. Mugar Ref. X CT3220 A56 1992.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index. 1980 - . (BU-px).: Comprehensive index to more than 13.6 million biographical sketches in volumes and editions of current and retrospective reference books, covering both contemporary and historical figures throughout the world.
Biography Index. 1946 - .: Alphabetical name index to biographical material in periodicals and books, on people living and dead. Useful index of professions/occupations allows one to locate individuals by profession (e.g., actors and actresses) or under such categories as AIDS patients or parents of murdered children. Mugar Ref. X Z5301 F46.
Biography Resource Center. (ChRiv-px).: "Biography Resource Center contains more than 422,000 biographies on more than 335,000 people gathered from more than 940 volumes of more than 135... Thomson Gale reference sources as well as full-text articles from nearly 300 magazines specifically chosen for their renowned biographical content in a broad range of subject areas."
Ethnic NewsWatch. 1990 - . (BU-px).: A comprehensive full text database of the newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority, and native press.
Historical Newspapers: The New York Times. 1851-2005. (BU-px).: "Offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue."

IBN: Index Bio-Bibliographicus Notorum Hominum. 1973 - .: A work-in-progress, eventually indexing information in 2,000 collective works, covering all countries and time periods. Part B assigns a number to each biographical source; the alphabetical listing of biographees in Part C refers to these numbers. Part C, thus far consisting of more than 80 volumes, is less than one-third of the way through the alphabet. Parts A (general introduction), D (supplementum), and E (general index of references) are forthcoming. Mugar Ref. X Z5301 L7.
LexisNexis Academic. (BU-px).: A full-text database that includes newspapers, wire services, transcripts of television and radio broadcasts, medical and health journals, trade journals, accounting literature, company financial reports, law reviews, statutory and case law, and public opinion polls. The database is international in scope, and includes newspapers in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, and German. Dates of coverage vary depending upon the publication.
New York Times Obituaries Index. 2 vols. 1970-1980.: Index to thousands of obituaries listed in the New York Times Index from 1858-1978. Mugar Ref. X CT213 F70.
Personal Name Index to 'The New York Times Index.' 22 vols. and supplements. 1976 - .: Compilation of names in The New York Times Index from 1851 to 1999. Mugar Ref. X Z5301 F28.

Women in Particular: An Index to American Women. 1984.: Contains brief biographical information on more than 20,000 American women. Includes sources for further information. There are field/career, religious affiliation, ethnic/racial, and geographical indexes. Mugar Ref. X HQ1412 H47 1984.

DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS.

African American National Biography. 8 vols. 2008.: Eight volume set of alphabetically arranged biographical entries for 4100 African Americans, historical and contemporary. Volume 8 includes indexes by birthplace and by subject area and realm of renown; as well as a list of African American prizewinners, medalists, members of Congress, and judges. Mugar Ref. X E185.96 A4466 2008
African American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. 1993.: Contains biographical sketches of approximately 300 women from the Colonial period to the present. Includes appendix listing women by career. Mugar Ref. X E185.96 A45 1993.
American Men and Women of Science.21st ed. 2003.: Biographical sketches of prominent figures in the sciences. Science and Engineering Library Ref. Q141 F06.
American National Biography. (BU-px).: The first new biographical encyclopedia on American history in seventy years, this work covers more than 17,500 historical figures. Available in print in 24 volumes: Mugar Ref. X CT213 A68 1999.
Biographical Dictionary.: Web site containing brief biographical entries for more than 33,000 individuals from ancient times to the present. Searchable by "names, birth years, death years, positions held, professions, literary and artistic works, miscellaneous achievements, and other keywords." Provides links to other biography-related Web sites.
Biographical Dictionary of American Indian History to 1900. 2001.: Contains biographical information for more than 1000 Indians and non-Indians who had an impact on native American history before the 20th century. Mugar Ref. X E89 W35 2001.
Black Women in America. 2nd ed . 3 vols. 2005.: Includes biographical essays on individual black women, both historical and contemporary, and entries on general topics such as Abolition and the Harlem Renaissance. Mugar Ref. X E185.86 B542 2005.
Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia. 1994.: Contains 15,000+ short biographies, both historical and contemporary, as well as appendix material on political leaders, award winners, religious leaders, and more. Mugar Ref. X CT103 C26 1994
Contemporary Authors. (BU-px).: Contemporary Authors provides a comprehensive collection of biographies of currently active authors.

Contemporary Literary Criticism. (BU-px).: Provides excerpts from critical works on most major twentieth century writers, grouped by individual titles within an authors body of work. Extensive bibliographies are also included for each individual work, and for the author as a whole. This resource should be used in conjunction with the print version of Contemporary Literary Criticism (Mugar Ref. X PN 771 C59) which covers a larger number of more obscure authors.
The Continuum Dictionary of Women's Biography. 1989.: Biographical dictionary of women, with world-wide scope. Subject index arranged by field. Each entry contains basic vital data and a brief biography. Many entries include references. Mugar Ref. X CT3202 C66 1989.
Current Biography. 1940 - .: Yearbook of 250-350 biographical articles on internationally prominent people in the fields of popular culture, sports, science and technology, national and international affairs, business, and the visual and performing arts. Mugar Ref. X CT100 F40.
Dictionary of American Biography. With supplements and index. 1928 - .: Contains 18,110 lengthy, signed articles with bibliographies on noteworthy Americans from Colonial times through 1970. Bibliographic notes often identity primary sources and the locations of biographees' personal papers. Does not include living persons. Use the index to locate individuals. Mugar Ref. X E176 F28.
Dictionary of American Negro Biography. 1982.: Comprehensive biographical dictionary of African-Americans deceased before 1970. Includes national figures as well as those of regional or local significance. Mugar Ref. X E185.96 L6 1982.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 14 vols. 1966 -.: "The DCB/DBC is a collection of authoritative biographies, written in a readable style, portraying noteworthy persons of both sexes (with the exception of those still living). Drawn from every region of the country and from various social backgrounds and ethnic groups, these individuals represent a wide range of professions and occupations. The DCB/DBC also recounts the history of Canada as a whole." Mugar Ref. X F1005 F66. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online provides access to persons who died or were active between 1000 and 1920.
Dictionary of Literary Biography. (BU-px).: Detailed literary biographies of authors from a wide variety of genres, nationalities, and literary forms. Should also be used in conjunction with the print version of the Dictionary of Literary Biography (Mugar Ref. X PS 21 D52M).

Dictionary of Political Biography. (BU-px).: "Compiled by an expert team of contributors, this dictionary covers all the major figures in world politics of the twentieth century. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it describes and assesses the lives of more than 1000 men and women who have shaped political events across the world."
Directory of American Scholars: A Biographical Directory. 9th ed. 5 vols. 1999.: Biographical profiles on 24,000+ U.S. and Canadian scholars in the humanities. Includes scholars in history, English, speech, drama, foreign languages, linguistics, philology, philosophy, religion, and law. Mugar Ref. X LA2311 F42.
Encyclopedia of Native American Biography: Six Hundred Life Stories of Important People from Powhatan to Wilma Mankiller. 1997.: Approximately 600 biographical sketches of native Americans and some non-Indians important in Indian affairs, from the 17th century to the present. Mugar Ref. X E89 J69 1997.
European Faculty Directory. 2 vols. 1991.: Alphabetical listing of the names and addresses of 315,000 faculty at 1400 European colleges, universities, and polytechnics. Mugar Ref. X L914.5 E95.
European Immigrant Women in the United States: A Biographical Dictionary. 1994.: Contains biographies of 234 European immigrant women who contributed to shaping the U.S. in such areas as the arts, politics, social work, religion, and medicine. Mugar Ref. X E184 E95 L58 1994.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. 26 vols. 2001.: Includes biographical essays on 147 individuals prominent in the social and behavioral sciences. Mugar Ref. X H41 I58 2001. Available (abstracts only) on the BU Web through ScienceDirect (BU-px).
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2nd ed. 9 vols. 2008.: Contains lengthy biographical essays on social scientists. Mugar Ref. X H40 A2 I5 2008.
International Who's Who. 1951 - .: Biographical entries on the most famous and most influential men and women in the world today. Separate section lists reigning royal families and a list of obituaries updates entries for those who died after the text was printed. Mugar Ref. X CT120 F35. Latest five years in Reference; earlier in stacks.
International Who's Who of Women. 1997.: Brief biographical profiles on 5500 prominent women worldwide. Indexed by career. Mugar Ref. X CT3235 I58 1997.
The Kings and Queens of Britain. 2009. (BU-px).: Authoritative guide to the British monarchy, spanning the Romano-British rulers of 55 BC to the present day House of Windsor.

Larousse Dictionary of Women. 1996.: International in scope, this includes biographical sketches on approximately 3000 women from ancient times to the present. Arranged alphabetically. Mugar Ref. X HQ1115 L57 1996.
The National Faculty Directory. 2008.: Alphabetical listing, with addresses, of nearly 800,000 teaching faculty at U.S. and some Canadian institutions of higher education. Mugar Ref. X LB2331 F70.
Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2001.: Biographical entries for historical and contemporary native American women, with indexes by tribal affiliation, state/province of birth, decade of birth, and primary area of specialization (e.g., activism, medicine-traditional). Mugar Ref. X E98 W8 B38 2001.
New York Times Biographical Service. 1982 - .: Compilation of biographical articles and obituaries from the New York Times. Mugar Ref. X CT120 N45.
Notable American Women, 1607 - 1950: A Biographical Dictionary. 3 vols. 1971.: Biographical sketches of 1359 American women who lived between 1607 and 1950. Mugar Ref. X CT3260 N57.

Notable American Women : A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century. 2004.: Biographical sketches of nearly 500 American women who died between January 1, 1976 and December 31, 1999. Mugar Ref. X CT3260 N5725 2004.

Notable American Women: The Modern Period: A Biographical Dictionary. 1980.: Biographical essays on 442 American women who were born between 1857 and 1943 and who died between 1951 and 1975. Mugar Ref. X CT3260 N573.
Notable Asian Americans. 1995.: Lengthy biographical essays on nearly 250 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, with occupation and ethnicity indexes. Mugar Ref. X E184 O6 N67 1995.
Notable Black American Women. 1992.: Contains biographical essays on 500 black American women of historical and contemporary significance. Mugar Ref. X E185.96 N68 1992.
Notable Hispanic American Women. 1993.: Contains approximately 300 entries on historical and contemporary Hispanic American women in a wide range of professions. Mugar Ref. X E184 S75 N68 1993.
Notable Native Americans. 1995.: Biographical essays on 265+ native North American men and women, 70% of whom are twentieth century individuals. Includes occupational and tribal indexes. Mugar Ref. X E89 N67 1995.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 60 vols. 2004. (BU-px).: "An illustrated collection of 50,000 specially written biographies of the men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2000." Includes American colonials. All
articles are on deceased individuals. Mugar Ref. X DA28 O95 2004.
The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. 2006. (BU-px).: " This acclaimed papal Who's Who presents biographical accounts in chronological order of all the officially recognized popes from St Peter to Pope Benedict XVI."
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. 2003. (BU-px).: "From the famous to the obscure, this book provides concise accounts of the lives, cults, relationships through patronage, and artistic associations of more than a thousand saints."

The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. 1998 - .: A continuation of the Dictionary of American Biography, each volume contains scholarly biographies (1000-3000 words in length) of 500+ notable Americans. Mugar Ref. X CT213 S37 1998.

Who's Who Among African Americans. 2009.: Biographical information on more than 20,000 African-Americans in elected or appointed office, or in careers in the arts, civil rights, sports, business, education, and religion. Mugar Ref. X E185.96 W52.
Who's Who Among Asian Americans. 1994/95.: Contains biographical data on 5000+ Asian Americans who trace their heritage to China, Japan, Korea, the Indian subcontinent, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia. Mugar Ref. X E184 O6 W46 1994/95.
Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans. 1994/95.: Includes biographical data, career profiles, and addresses of 5000+ Hispanic American leaders. Mugar Ref. X E184 S75 W53.
Who's Who in America. 1900 - .: Basic biographical data on prominent living Americans. Mugar Ref. X E663 F00. Current year at Reference Desk; previous two years in Reference, earlier in stacks.
Who's Who in the Twentieth Century. (BU-px).: "From Albert Einstein to the Marx Brothers, this authoritative reference book provides biographies of men and women from different countries and cultures who have contributed to the thought as well as the action of the twentieth century."
Who's Who of American Women. 2007.: Brief biographical data on 38,000+ contemporary American women. Mugar Ref. X E176 F58. Latest five editions in Reference; earlier in stacks.
Who Was Who in America.: Biographical data on deceased prominent Americans. Historical volume covers 1607-1896. Volumes 1-17 (1897-2006) cover individuals who have died since their listing in Who's Who in America. Use index to locate individuals. Mugar Ref. X E663 F42.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES.

Biographical Dictionaries and Related Works: An International Bibliography of Approximately 16,000 Collective Biographies. 2nd ed. 2 vols. 1986.: List of biographical dictionaries, including pseudonym, historical, and specialized dictionaries, government manuals, and biographical indexes. General section and sections arranged by country and occupation. Mugar Mugar Ref. X Z5301 S55 1986.
Biographies of American Women: An Annotated Bibliography. 1990.: Contains entries for 1391 biographies of 700 American women, published since the early 1800s. Includes appendix arranged by profession or category. Mugar Ref. X Z7963 B6 S88 1990.

INTERNET SOURCES.


Biography Resources: Finding Information on the Famous, Infamous, and Obscure.: Collection of Web-based biography resources, compiled by librarians at Indiana State University. Includes biographical search engines, general biographical resources, and subject-specific biographical sites for art, Hollywood, law, literature, the military, music, philosophy, politics, and science.
Boston Public Library Obituary Database.: "The Obituary Database is a running file of full-length obituaries that appeared in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald. Currently, this database includes obituaries published between 1971 and 1974, and obituaries published from 1983 through 2002."
Dead People Server.: "The Dead People Server is a database of interesting celebrities who are long dead or newly dead."

Find a Grave.: Database of 33 million grave records as well as graves of famous people around the world.

Information Wanted: A Database of Advertisements for Irish Immigrants Published in the Boston Pilot.: Interactive database of 31,438 records containing genealogical information on Irish-Americans who immigrated to the U.S. from the early 1800s through the early 1900s.

Obituaries: Death Notices, and Guides to Burial Places of Notables: A Research Guide.: New York Public Library research guide on locating obituaries, death notices, and guides to burial places of notable people in the U.S., France, and Great Britain.

Social Security Death Index.: Searchable database of the 84 million-plus entries of SSA payment records from the Death Master File of the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Research Guides