Sedona Sweginnis | Newsroom Manager & Head Editor
October 3, 2025
Jane Goodall, one of the most influential female scientists in history, passed away from natural causes at 91 years-old this Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Known throughout the world for her sixty-year-long studies of chimpanzees in Tanzania, Goodall has made countless contributions to the world of science and to our understanding of the world. Goodall is widely recognized for her efforts towards global conservation and sustainability, particularly in educating the younger generations and fostering a positive future for her beloved planet. Dedicated to a better world for all, both human and animal, Goodall dedicated her life to protecting animal welfare and the environment.
Goodall’s most notable work consisted of her studies revolving around the lives and behaviors of chimpanzees. Goodall made the perspective-altering discovery that chimpanzees used tools. In addition to this, Goodall developed incredibly comprehensive findings regarding the behavior of chimpanzees throughout her sixty years studying among them in Tanzania, revealing their complex interactions that largely mimic those of humans. Her research has allowed for numerous developments in scientific theory while also paving the way for new methods of conservation.
Prior to her time among the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania, Goodall had always had an affinity for animals and nature. The flame of this lifelong passion was ignited in her childhood by books such as “Tarzan” and “Doctor Doolittle,” which instilled in her the desire to travel Africa and learn more about animals firsthand. Her dreams were initially made possible by Dr. Louis Leakey, a paleontologist who hired her as a secretary at the National Museum of Kenya before inviting her on an excavation to Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and eventually requesting her to study wild chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Reserve. According to a piece published by the Jane Goodall Institute, Goodall would have been exceedingly grateful to study any animal species; however, she was ecstatic at the opportunity to closely study the closest relatives to humans.
Following the initial five years of her studies among the chimpanzees of Gombe, Goodall earned a PhD in Ethology from Cambridge University, with her doctoral thesis presenting her findings from the forests of Gombe. Following this, Goodall went on to write nearly thirty books and found the Jane Goodall Institute in order to further spread her findings and encourage all, especially the younger generations, to be curious and protect animals and the environment.
Goodall’s impact on the world was profound and spanned throughout many countries, leading her to receive numerous awards and recognitions, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, Japan’s Kyoto prize, the French Légion d’honneur, and many more. Additionally, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace as well as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace.
Goodall and her work have led to innumerable new innovations and developments, while also shaping entire generations to follow in her footsteps, valuing animals and their habitats while exercising curiosity. Namely, at SCHS, a group of students–many of whom were directly inspired by Goodall–participated in a global conservation project earlier this year, which entailed forty hours of service at the San Clemente State Beach to preserve and cultivate local wildlife and foliage before embarking on a nine-day trip to Costa Rica to study the wildlife there. One participant of this trip, senior Natalie Deyhimy, remarked that it was an incredible and surreal experience for her, as Goodall has been a “significant inspiration” in her life since she “was young.” She explained that the trip served as an opportunity to learn and “live out Goodall’s call to action.”
Furthermore, Goodall was a pioneer for women in the field of science. Following her initial trip to Tanzania in 1960, between 1970 and 2011, the number of women in STEM increased drastically from 7% to 26%. Goodall is an inspiration to countless young girls to pursue careers in science and math, including SCHS junior and future architect, Annabelle Strutton. Strutton recalled “a book on inspirational women” that she had as a young girl that included a story about Goodall, which “really stuck out to” Strutton. She explained that Goodall demonstrated to her that “women could make groundbreaking research in such a great capacity” so as to be “used to do genuine good.” The wholesome nature of Goodall’s work, in addition to its impactfulness, inspired Strutton “to care in [her] greatest capacity,” not only for her work, but to ensure that it is of “benefit to others–whether chimps or people.”
As an incredible scientist, environmentalist, philanthropist, and role model, Goodall’s impact reaches beyond the confines of words. Her impact on the world around her, both for humans and animals, is incredibly profound, and her legacy will not soon be forgotten. Jane Goodall is an inspiration to many around the world, and her impact will be felt for generations to come, both among the people she inspired and the animals she protected.
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