Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0487

SR0487 LRB104 15970 LAW 29212 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jane Goodall, Ph.D., who passed away on October 1, 2025, was a world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian best known for her 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania; in the latter part of her life, she expanded her focus and became a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species and environmental protection, and many other crucial issues; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall was born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall to Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall and Margaret Myfanwe (Joseph) Goodall in London, England on April 3, 1934; she was raised in Bournemouth, England, and she developed her passion for studying wildlife from early childhood; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall began her study of the wild chimpanzees at Gombe, Tanzania on July 14, 1960; her field studies led her to developing a unique understanding of chimpanzee behavior, including mating rituals, parenting, and warfare, and making the ground-breaking discovery that chimpanzees use tools; in recognition of the contributions she was making to science, she was accepted into a doctoral program without an undergraduate degree by the University of Cambridge in 1961, subsequently earning a Ph.D. in Ethology in 1965; her observations, covered across a series of long-form articles she penned for National Geographic in the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionized humankind's understanding of and connection to wild animals; her work also led to Tanzania designating the Gombe Stream Reserve as a national park in 1978; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977 to initially support research at Gombe, and it has evolved into one of the world's largest nonprofit global research and conservation organizations, with 25 JGI offices operating diverse programs around the world; she next founded Roots & Shoots, her global humanitarian and environmental program for young people of all ages; her program, which began as an initiative in 1991 with 12 high school students in Tanzania, has expanded into 75 countries; more recently, she founded the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation in 2017, ensuring the ongoing stability of the core programs she created; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall became a celebrated author, writing 32 books, including 15 children's books; her most recent publication, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, which expressed her optimism for the future of humankind, was published in 2021 and has been translated into more than 20 languages; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall was the recipient of a number of accolades, including being named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), and awarded the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., France's La Legion d'honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Japan's Kyoto Prize, the Ghandi-King Award for Nonviolence, the Medal of Tanzania, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall is survived by her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick; her sister, Judy Waters; and three grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Goodall leaves a legacy of courage, conviction, and conservation, and her life's work will continue through the organizations she established and the countless individuals she inspired; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 3, 2026 as Jane Goodall Day in the State of Illinois in recognition of the life and work of Jane Goodall, Ph.D. and the importance of conservation, sustainability, and living in peace with our environment.