Jane Goodall
Overview
Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall was a primatologist and environmental activist, best known for her fieldwork with chimpanzees in Tanzania. By observing that chimps made and used tools, had personalities, developed social bonds, and exhibited other characteristics long considered exclusive to humans, Goodall reshaped the view that humanity was unique within the animal kingdom. Over six decades, Goodall increasingly championed wildlife protection, habitat restoration, animal welfare, and community-led, global conservation.
Born in London in 1934, Goodall became interested in Africa and in living with animals after reading about Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle as a child. At 26, she was sent by paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey to study primates in their natural habitats. Her groundbreaking work earned her international recognition and contributed to her doctorate from Cambridge, despite not having a bachelor's degree.
In 1986, Goodall shifted her focus from research to activism and policy, expanding the scope of the Jane Goodall Institute—founded in 1977—into a worldwide conservation organization. Since 1991, its Roots & Shoots program has empowered youth to enact positive change in their communities, while Goodall continued to travel nearly 300 days a year advocating for ecological stewardship.
Goodall died at 91, nine months after she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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