Remembering Jane Goodall, A Heroine in the World of Science

October 13, 2025 by Kayla Magnus (‘29) As many of you have probably heard, English primatologist and anthologist Jane Goodall passed away on October 1st from natural causes. She lived an astounding ninety-one years during which she accomplished so much. There are lots of famous last words out there such as Karl Marx’s; “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” and John Wayne’s; “Of course, I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”  Janes last words were that she wanted to be remembered as, “somebody sent to this world to try to give people hope in dark times, because without hope, we fall into apathy and do nothing.” These words will go down in history for sure. Jane Goodall was an outstanding person; she accomplished so much and has made the world a much better place. She was born on the 3rd of April 1934 in London, England. She was an extremely invested primatologist, an ethologist who studies animal behavior, and wildlife conservationist. She is best known for her research of chimpanzees and the discoveries she made about them. She had always had an affinity for the way animals behave. So, to pursue her dreams she left school at 18. Once she was able to, she moved to Africa. There she studied under the famous paleontologist and anthropologist Louis Leaky. She then studied and observed the behavior of Chimpanzees in the modern-day national park of Gombe Stream Game Reserve. Later, she married Baron Hugo van Lawick, who was a Dutch photographer sent to photograph her work, who she then had a son with in 1967 and divorced shortly after.  She got remarried to Derek Bryceson in 1975 who unfortunately passed away 5 years into their marriage. They both loved animals and grew very close because of this. Returning to the topic of chimpanzees, Goodall became one of the largest contributors to the study and knowledge of the species. Goodall discovered that they aren’t vegetarians but omnivores, they know how to use tools, they have intricate behavior patterns, and that they have emotions just like us. She won so many awards and achieved so much in her life. Some of her many awards are the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize in 1984, the Golden Plate Award in 1987, the American Academy of Achievement, The Edinburgh Medal in 1991, and many more. Jane had an incredible, fascinating, long life, in which she blazed a trail for women in science and became a world-renowned pioneer in primate ethology. Jane Goodall will leave behind an outstanding legacy; she impacted the world in so many ways and no one is going to forget about it. She founded the Jane Goodall institute in 1977, which helps support wildlife conservation, specifically chimpanzees but all animals too. She was also very invested in humanitarian work and was an advocate for human rights, and wanted to help the world and everything on it- and that’s exactly what she did. Jane, you will be missed greatly, and we thank you for all your contribution to making our world better, it wouldn’t be the same without you. The 20 Most Famous Last Words of All Time Jane Goodall | Biography, Awards, Institute, Books, & Facts | Britannica Was Jane Goodall Married? A Look at Her Personal Life Remembering Jane – Jane Goodall Institute USA Our Story – Jane Goodall Institute USA