A Few More Renaissance Men

  “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

        I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of the Renaissance man or woman, a person who strives to do multiple things in a variety of fields, to do whatever interests them. Most people think of Leonardo da Vinci and others of the actual Renaissance period, or perhaps of Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson. Rarely do we think of people in our own time as potential Renaissance people; more often we look towards specialists in modern times. 

There are actually many examples of modern day Renaissance people, and I’ve written a couple of previous blog posts about them. Here are five more that I’ve thought of.

Dennis Hopper – 

The late Dennis Hopper was best known as an actor and filmmaker for his work in films such as “Easy Rider” and “Blue Velvet.” However, he was also a prolific photographer and artist, with several books showcasing his work published throughout his life. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar –

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is known throughout the world as a legendary basketball player to say the least. That and for his memorable role in the classic comedy “Airplane.” 

The former basketball star and actor is also a writer and historian, having written several books on subjects ranging from basketball to African-American history to mysteries. Along with his books, he has also written several articles (often on current events and social justice) and even worked as a staff writer for the fourth season of “Veronica Mars,” a show he loves.

Isaac Asimov –

Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer to say the least. While perhaps best known for his groundbreaking science fiction, he worked on over five hundred books in his lifetime with topics ranging from mysteries to non-fiction. Of his non-fiction, the range was so vast that it spans to nearly all major categories of the Dewey Decimal system.

As if writing prolifically wasn’t enough, Asimov was also a professor of biochemistry at the Boston University School of Medicine. Being a fan of cruise ships, he also worked as a lecturer, securing both pay and free cruise ships.

Gene Wolfe – 

Gene Wolfe is mainly known as a writer, most famous perhaps for his science fiction series “Book of the New Sun,” a series taking place in the far future when the Sun has dimmed. But before turning to writing full time, Wolfe worked as an industrial engineer; his most well known work in that field was helping to create the machine that mass-produced Pringles. While still employed as an engineer Wolfe also worked as an editor for the magazine Plant Engineering.

Paul Winchell –

You may not know the name but you’ve probably heard his voice many times. Paul Winchell was an entertainer who worked as an actor, comedian, and ventriloquist whose career began to take off during the early pioneering days of television. He’s best known acting wise for his work in animation, particularly as the original voice actor for Tigger, along with Dick Dastardly, Gargamel, and many others.

Bringing joy to generations of children would usually be enough for most people. However, along with his acting career, Winchell also was an inventor. Among his inventions were a flameless cigarette lighter, battery heated gloves, and a disposable razor. His most famous invention was without a doubt the creation of an early version of the artificial heart. No doubt his training as a pre-med student of Columbia University helped in this endeavor.