Jane Goodall: Preserving Her Legacy

Sarah Ramming, managing editor

At 91 years old, Dr. Jane Goodall died of natural causes on Oct. 1, 2025. Dr. Goodall was on a speaking tour in California, reflecting on the studies and experiences she had throughout her life. Known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees’ social structures over 60 years in Tanzania, she documented the life of chimpanzees and eventually grew into a champion for animal welfare and environmental protection.   

Dr. Goodall was born in Hamstead, London on April 3, 1934. In her childhood, she developed a passion for animals through avid reading. When she finally saved enough money through her waitress job, she booked passage to Kenya to work under Dr. Louis Leakey, a respected paleontologist, as a secretary at the National Museum in Nairobi, Kenya. From there she traveled around Africa, eventually ending up in Tanzania in the forest of Gombe. There she made a groundbreaking discovery on the use of tools by chimpanzees. However, to be taken seriously within the scientific community, she had to have a formal education. Despite previously having no degrees, Dr. Leakey arranged for Goodall to study at Cambridge for a PHD in Ethology, the study of animal behavior. Then, it was back to Gombe National Park. 

Over her years of studying chimpanzees at Gombe, Goodall assisted other doctoral students and developed her own research further. It was not only the fact that chimpanzees used tools - such as stiff blades of grass to extract termites from termite holes - it was also because before Goodall’s discovery that they also made tools, which previously scientists had defined humans as “apes able to make and use tools.” Now it is known that chimpanzees, already seen as closely related to humans, are closer than ever. Not only did Goodall discover chimpanzees’ use and creation of tools, but also discovered the fact that they are omnivores, not herbivores. However, what really set Goodall apart from other scientists in her field were her methods and ethics for behavioral studies. Using names instead of numbers, suggesting that chimpanzees had personalities and emotions, was unheard of at the time.  

When Goodall wasn’t revolutionizing behavioral studies, she was dedicating her time to educating the next generation and raising awareness for deforestation. She established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977, for community efforts of conservation and Roots & Shoots in 1991, a global humanitarian and environmental program for young people. Over her entire career, she has written over 27 books for adults and children alike, been featured in documentaries and films and traveled over 300 days a year.  Goodall was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, a prestigious position focused on gaining worldwide attention for United Nation missions. Goodall was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the United States. Goodall, in her later career, shifted towards conservation. She worked to prevent deforestation which leaves many chimpanzees without a habitat and fought against animal testing and cruelty.  

“To me, cruelty is the worst of human sins. Once we accept that a living creature has feelings and suffers pain, then by knowingly and deliberately inflicting suffering on that creature, we are guilty, whether it be human or animal.” Goodall said on the subject. 

Though she is no longer with us, her legacy will never be forgotten and her research will continue to impact both the scientific community and serve as inspiration for future generations of conservationists.