Jane Goodall
We’re not, after all, separate from the animal kingdom. We’re part of it. -Jane Goodall
Biography
Jane Goodall is an English primitologist and anthropologist. She was born in London, England in 1934. From a very early age, Goodall displayed an interest in animals through observing animals and reading about them during her spare time. Jane’s dream as a child was to visit Africa to observe and write about the animals living there. After high school, Jane couldn’t afford to attend University, so she got a job as a secretary at Oxford University. In 1956, Goodall was invited by a friend to visit her family’s farm in Kenya; she jumped at the opportunity and quit her job to work as a waitress and save up for her trip.
Career
Her career began in 1957 when she went to Kenya and met Dr. Louis Leakey, famous anthropologist and palaeontologist. Dr. Leakey saw great potential in Goodall and hired her to work as his assistant. From Kenya, Goodall travelled to the Gombe Forest in Tanzania in 1960 to begin her study of chimpanzees. Beginning her study was difficult, as it took a year to gain the trust of the chimpanzees, so that they would allow her to get near them. Goodall also faced difficulties from other scientists, as she was criticized for getting too personal with the chimps, such as naming them and believing they had personalities, minds, and feelings. In response to this criticism Goodall said, “how arrogant of us to assume that we are the only beings with personalities, minds and feelings.” Her funding was almost cut, until she made two vital discoveries that led to National Geographics funding her future research- “The first discovery was that chimpanzees sometimes ate meat. The second and more stunning discovery was that chimps use tools” (Crain). Goodall also discovered that chimpanzees sometimes displayed aggressive behavior towards each other that sometimes resulted in death, which challenged the prior belief of many scientists that mammals did not fight to the death. Other discoveries made by Goodall are that chimps have a complex social system and a primitive “language” system comprised of different sounds. In 1986, Goodall’s work began to focus on conservation of the chimps, as she learned that hunting and logging was leading to the death of thousands of chimps in Africa. Goodall stated, “The time had come for me to use the knowledge I had acquired to try to help the chimps in their time of need,” as she began travelling the world and giving speeches about chimpanzees in order to raise awareness and support.
Written Works
In August 1963, Goodall published "My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees," her first article in National Geographic, which offered the world a new understanding of the chimps and her work. In 1989, she wrote a children’s book called “The Chimpanzee Family Book”, which depicted wildlife and chimpanzees in a humane light. The book ended up receiving that year’s UNICEF/UNESCO Children's Book of the Year Award. Her next book was “Through a Window” in 1990, in which she discussed the moral dilemma of keeping chimpanzees captive. “Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the Plants” is another book by Goodall, however she was accused of plagiarism in that she did not properly cite all her sources and give credit where it’s due. The book was revised and reissued in 2014.
Films
Goodall has appeared in or been the subject of more than 40 films. Some of the most notable films include "Chimps: So Like Us" (1990), "Chimpanzee" (2012), and the biographical documentary "Jane" (2017). Other films she has been involved in are "Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees" (1965) and "Jane's Journey" (2010). In addition to film, she has also appeared in television, most notably in "Chimps R Us" and "The Wild Thornberrys." Her collaboration with organizations such as Disney and the BBC have brought her anthropological contributions to a very wide audience.
Legacy
In 1965, The Gombe Stream Research Centre was founded with the purpose of advancing Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzee behaviours, training Tanzanian scientists, and conservation of the species. About a decade later, The Jane Goodall Institute(JGI) for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation was founded with the goal of saving and helping chimpanzees, educating about chimpanzees, as well as providing educational opportunities for girls and women in Tanzania. In 1991, Goodall established Roots and Shoots, the JGI’s youth programme that motivates and provides opportunities for young people to get involved and take action on issues they are passionate about.
Accolades
Due to Jane Goodall’s extraordinary work and dedication she was appointed as a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, followed by being made a Dame in 2004. In 2006 Goodall received the French Legion of Honour and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Gold Medal Award, and in 2008 Goodall became an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Biology.
Some of the Published Books written by Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall has written over 25 books over her lifetime regarding a multitude of topics. She is well known for her books and a name recognized in primitology, as well as a wide variety of other sciences and areas of study.
Below are some of her works linked to purchase if you are interested in reading some of her inspiring and informational books....
Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe
Books for Young Readers about Goodall
There are also multiple books written about Jane Goodall from different authors for the younger audiences to learn about the inspiring and influential women she is. Some of those young reader books are linked below...
Who Is Jane Goodall? (Who Was?)
Works Cited
“Biography.” Jane Goodall Institute UK, www.janegoodall.org.uk/jane-goodall/biography.
Crain, William. “Jane Goodall.” Encounter, vol. 22, no. 1, Spring 2009, pp. 2–6. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.bradley.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=43090935&site=ehost-live.
“Gombe Stream Research Centre.” Jane Goodall Institute UK, www.janegoodall.org.uk/our-programmes/gombe-stream-research-centre.
“The Jane Goodall Institute Homepage.” The Jane Goodall Institute, www.janegoodall.org/.
“Jane Goodall.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 26 June 2019, www.biography.com/scientist/jane-goodall.