Avocation

American First Lady Bess Truman with Girl Scouts and their volunteer leaders

An avocation is an activity that someone engages in as a hobby outside their main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside their workplaces were their true passions in life.[1][2] Occasionally, as with Lord Baden-Powell and others, people who pursue an avocation are more remembered by history for their avocation than for their professional career.

Many times, a person's regular vocation may lead to an avocation. Many forms of humanitarian campaigning, such as work for organizations like Amnesty International and Greenpeace, may be done by people involved in the law or human rights issues as part of their work.[3]

Many people involved with youth work pursue this as an avocation.[4]

People whose avocations were not their vocations

A

August Wilhelm Ambros
Person Avocation Vocation
Adams, FrederickLuthierPhysician
Allen, WoodyJazz musicianFilmmaker
Alston, Joseph CameronBadminton playerFederal agent
Ambros, August WilhelmMusical archaeologistAustrian civil service

B

Baden-Powell, Robert
Person Avocation Vocation
Baden-Powell, RobertScoutingMilitary officer
Balzary, MichaelNon-profit managementMusician
Barr, WilliamBagpiperAttorney
Benedetto, AnthonyPainterSinger
Bennett, WilliamClarinetistPhysicist
Billroth, TheodorPianistSurgeon
Blades, RubénActivistMusician
Blom, GertrudeSocial anthropologistJournalist
Borodin, AlexanderComposerChemist
Brontë, CharlotteAuthorGoverness
Butchart, HarveyGrand Canyon explorerMathematics professor

C

Copernicus
Person Avocation Vocation
Carpenter, CharlesNaturalistMinister
Chekhov, AntonWriter, playwrightPhysician
Copernicus, NicolausAstronomerRoman Catholic cleric
Cervantes, MiguelWriterMarine
Carter, Allister Pilot Snooker player

D

Olivia d'Abo
Person Avocation Vocation
d'Abo, OliviaSinger-songwriterActress
Darger, HenryAuthor, illustratorCustodian
Derleth, AugustNaturalistNovelist
Duncan, WatsonActorProfessor

E

Johannes Scotus Eriugena
Person Avocation Vocation
Eriugena, Johannes ScotusTheologianCourtier
Ekimyan, AlexeyComposerSenior police official

F

Veronica Franco
Person Avocation Vocation
Fermat, Pierre deMathematicianLawyer
Foecke, TimWhittler, wooden toy makerMetallurgist
Franco, VeronicaPoetCourtesan
Ford, HarrisonCarpenter, pilotActor
Feynman, Richard[5] Drummer Physicist

G

J. Paul Getty
Person Avocation Vocation
Getty, J. PaulArt collectorOilman
Gilbert, WilliamNatural philosopherPhysician
Gill, JohnBouldererMathematician
Goldblum, JeffJazz musicianActor
Grahame, KennethWriterBank of England executive

H

Hilda Hewlett
Person Avocation Vocation
Hass, RudolphBotanyLetter carrier
Hewlett, HildaWoodwork, metalworkAviatrice
Hillary, Sir EdmundMountaineerBeekeeper
Hohlbaum, RobertWriterLibrarian
Houston, CharlesMountaineerPhysician

I

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
Person Avocation Vocation
Ingres, Jean Auguste DominiqueViolinistPainter
Ives, CharlesComposerInsurance agent

J

Brian Jacques
Person Avocation Vocation
Jacques, BrianAuthorMilkman
Jędruch, JacekHistorianNuclear engineer

K

Ada Lovelace
Person Avocation Vocation
Kaleeba, NoerineActivistPhysiotherapist
Kafka, FranzWriterInsurance assessor
Kent, CoritaArtist, printmakerRoman Catholic nun
King, Augusta AdaMathematicianCourtier
Kogan, Richard, M.D.PianistPsychiatrist
Krakauer, JonMountaineerJournalist/writer
Kruger, BarbaraArtistGraphic designer

L

Hedy Lamarr
Person Avocation Vocation
Lamarr, HedyInventorActress
Lehrer, TomSinger/songwriterMathematician
Lifton, Robert JayCartoonistPsychiatrist
Lluberas, GerónimoMusicianPhysician
Luna, JamesArtistCounselor

M

Gaston Means
Person Avocation Vocation
Maier, VivianPhotographerAu pair
Means, GastonCon artistSalesman
Meschian, ArthurSinger & songwriterArchitect
Morrison, ToniAuthorEditor
Moses, Anna Mary RobertsonPainterFarmer

N

Emperor Norton
Person Avocation Vocation
Norton, Joshua A.Eccentric (self-declared "Emperor of these United States")Businessman
Nabokov, Vladimir Lepidopterist Novelist

O

Ottendorfer, Anna
Person Avocation Vocation
Obici, AmedeoFarmerBusinessman
Ottendorfer, AnnaPhilanthropistJournalist

P

Michael Alfred Peszke
Person Avocation Vocation
Peszke, Michael AlfredHistorianPsychiatrist
Pekar, HarveyComic book writerFile clerk

Q

Quirinus
Person Avocation Vocation
Quirinus of NeussMissionaryTribune

R

Jeri Ryan
Person Avocation Vocation
Radi, AkbarPlaywrightTeacher
Rodriguez, SixtoFolk musicianDemolition worker
Roget, Peter MarkLexicographerPhysician
Rousseau, HenriPainterTax collector
Ryan, JeriChefActress

S

Shelley, Mary
Person Avocation Vocation
Santos, Reynaldo dosArt historianPhysician
Saro-Wiwa, KenEnvironmental activistTelevision producer
Shelley, MaryPolitical activistAuthor
Silva, Inocêncio Francisco daBibliographerClerk
Smith, Walter Parry HaskettBoulderingLawyer
Stevens, WallacePoetInsurance executive[6]

T

Tolkien, J. R. R.
Person Avocation Vocation
Thomas, JeanFolk festival promoterStenographer
Tov, Baal ShemArbitrator and mediatorRabbi
Tolkien, J. R. R.NovelistPhilologist
Trollope, AnthonyNovelistRoyal Mail executive

U

Tracey Ullman
Person Avocation Vocation
Ullman, TraceyKnitter and author[7]Actress

V

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Person Avocation Vocation
Van Damme, Jean-ClaudeMartial artistActor

W

Wells, Ida B.
Person Avocation Vocation
Weller, PeterArt historianActor
Wells, Ida B.SuffragetteJournalist
White, HenryFox hunterDiplomat
White, KateAuthorEditor-in-chief
Whorf, Benjamin LeeLinguistfire prevention engineer
Williams, William CarlosPoetPediatrician[6]

X

Xenakis, Iannis
Person Avocation Vocation
Xenakis, IannisComposerArchitect

Y

Person Avocation Vocation
Yada, LenaSurferModel, actress

Fictional people whose avocations were not their vocations

Bruce Wayne as his alter ego Batman
Person Avocation Vocation
Kent, Clark / Kal-El (DC Comics)SuperheroReporter
Stark, Tony (Marvel Comics)SuperheroIndustrialist
Wayne, Bruce (DC Comics)Crime fighterPhilanthropist/industrialist/heir
Quijano, Alonso (Don Quixote)Knight-errantHidalgo
Schrute, Dwight (The Office)Beet farmerPaper salesman

See also

References

  1. ↑ Saunders, Travis (12 October 2009). "Avocation vs. Vocation". Dragon Intuitive. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  2. ↑ Miller, Robert (10 February 2010). "Your avocation may save your life". The News-Times. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Boyd, Brian (20 October 2006). "A secret history of the old Ball game". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
  4. ↑ Giammona, Craig. "Avocation in Wood". Bowdoin. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  5. ↑ Gleick, James (1992). Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman. Pantheon Books. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-679-40836-9. OCLC 243743850.
  6. 1 2 Neary, Lynn (6 September 2016). "Idea For 'Gentleman in Moscow' Came From Many Nights in Luxury Hotels". National Public Radio. No. Morning Edition. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Montagne, Renee (29 September 2006). "Tracey Ullman Takes on Knitting". NPR. NPR.org. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
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