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Who's Who "...a reference work containing short biographical entries on
the outstanding persons in a country, industry, profession...the
outstanding or influential persons in a community, industry, profession,
or other group." The Many Variations of Who's
Who
That's it. That is
the definition of who's who as used and understood in contemporary times.
It is amusing to find how many times we incorporate it into everyday
conversations, such as "the guest list read like a who's who of corporate
America." Do a Google Search
and you'll find 'who's who' used in every fashion and manner, including
the original incarnation of who's who which came about in
1849. According to Roget's
New Millennium™ Thesaurus, Who's Who can also have the connotation of an
"upper class group" or the "elite, gentry, and glitterati" of
society. Who's who is also
used loosely to represent an almanac or a social register, list or line
up. The last
interpretation is how the Madison Who's Who blog most often utilizes the
phrase when we present books, websites and other compilations of
outstanding people as well as outstanding events or items. We also favor the biographical
component to who's who by bringing to the forefront various tributes or
new biographies of the achievers and pivotal personalities through the
corridors of time. Almost every
organization or institution also keeps their own who's who. There's a who's who of outstanding
students in America as well as a Who Who's of the most recognized teachers
and even a Who's Who of lawyers and a Who's Who' of athletes. Every company has its own roster's
of who's who and every profession looks within it's own ranks to spotlight
their most brilliant with a who's who designation. First Who's Who Published in
1849
The first Who's Who
was published as a 250 page volume in 1849 and had no biographical content
but only thirty-nine lists of ranks and appointments and the names of
those holding them. These included the Royal Household, members of the
House of Peers and House of Commons, judges, archbishops and British
envoys abroad. In 1897 a change of ownership brought about the biographical style that we have today. Bernard Shaw was the first Who's Who nominee to answer the question "What is your favorite recreation?" It is so highly revered that Winston Churchill intervened during WW II to assure that Who's Who's went to press. |
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