[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 483 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 483
Honoring the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Dr. Jane
Goodall.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 5, 2025
Mr. Welch (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Durbin, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Schiff,
Ms. Rosen, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr.
Markey, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Mr. Tillis) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
December 9, 2025
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Dr. Jane
Goodall.
Whereas Dr. Jane Goodall, born in Hampstead, London, on April 3, 1934, became
one of the world's most celebrated ethologists, animal behaviorists, and
environmental conservationists;
Whereas, throughout her life, Jane Goodall remained an indefatigable advocate
for wildlife, dedicating herself not only to the protection of
chimpanzees and other primates, but also to broader efforts to safeguard
the natural world;
Whereas Jane Goodall's work extended far beyond science, inspiring generations
through her books, films, lectures, and the Jane Goodall Institute and
the ``Roots and Shoots Program,'' which encourages youth around the
world to work to make the world a better place for people, animals, and
the environment;
Whereas, in 1957, at the age of just 23, Ms. Goodall moved to Africa on her own,
where she met the famed paleontologist Louis Leakey, and with his
support and encouragement, she began the work that would define her
life;
Whereas, in 1960, Jane Goodall traveled to the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve
(Gombe) in Tanzania, accompanied by her mother, Vanne, to begin her
groundbreaking study of wild chimpanzees and where she established what
has become the world's longest-running wild chimpanzee research program,
one that continues uninterrupted as of the date of this resolution;
Whereas, while at Gombe, Ms. Goodall, who at the time had not received formal
academic training, made observations that challenged prevailing
scientific assumptions;
Whereas Ms. Goodall documented chimpanzees making and using tools, hunting, and
displaying complex social behaviors, activities that had once been
thought exclusive to humans;
Whereas these findings not only transformed the study of primatology but
reshaped how the world views the emotional and social lives of all
animals;
Whereas, recognizing the importance of formal study, Ms. Goodall enrolled at
Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1962, earning a degree in natural
sciences and went on to pursue a doctorate at Darwin College, Cambridge,
completing her Ph.D. in 1966 with a thesis on the behavior of free-
living chimpanzees;
Whereas Jane Goodall's early years of research at Gombe became the foundation of
a scientific legacy that bridged rigorous observation with empathy for
the animals she studied;
Whereas Jane Goodall's influence extended far beyond academia, as she authored
more than 27 books for both adults and children, appeared in numerous
documentaries and films, and became a cultural figure whose presence
extended beyond scientific circles;
Whereas, in 2019, the National Geographic Society honored her life's work with
``Becoming Jane,'' a traveling exhibit that continues to tour across the
United States;
Whereas Ms. Goodall's most recent book, ``The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for
Trying Times,'' has been translated into more than 20 languages,
ensuring her voice resonates with people around the globe;
Whereas Jane Goodall's achievements have been recognized with some of the
world's highest honors;
Whereas Jane Goodall was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, and
2 years later, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British
Empire at Buckingham Palace;
Whereas Jane Goodall received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the French Legion d'honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life
Science, Japan's prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Gandhi-King Award for
Nonviolence, the Medal of Tanzania, the Schweitzer Medal, and the Tyler
Prize for Environmental Achievement;
Whereas countless other governments, institutions, and organizations have also
celebrated Ms. Goodall's unique contributions;
Whereas Jane Goodall recognized that protecting nature is first and foremost
about educating and motivating human beings on whom the survival of all
species depends, which became her life's mission, and she also never
stopped advocating for the ethical treatment of animals;
Whereas most of the leading primatologists have been either mentored by Jane
Goodall or inspired by her life and work;
Whereas, in 1991, Ms. Goodall founded the ``Roots and Shoots Program,'' to bring
together young people, from preschool through university, to learn about
environmental challenges and to take action to address them;
Whereas, as of the date of this resolution, the Roots and Shoots Program has
local chapters in some 75 countries, encompassing thousands of
community-based groups and youth members worldwide;
Whereas Jane Goodall recognized the critical role that indigenous people have
played throughout history as caretakers of the natural environment and
stressed the need to include indigenous people in decisions about
policies, programs, and activities that impact their lands and
livelihoods;
Whereas Jane Goodall founded the Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and
Education (TACARE) program, recognizing that protecting forests and
other natural resources is not possible if people living in the
surrounding areas lack the necessities of life;
Whereas the TACARE program supports community-led sustainable agriculture
techniques, reforestation, public health, girls' education, fuel-
efficient stoves, and small business development;
Whereas Jane Goodall's life was a remarkable blend of science, advocacy, and
compassion;
Whereas she showed the world that understanding animals requires not only
observation, but empathy, that conservation demands both knowledge and
courage, and that hope is a vital force in the struggle to protect the
Earth;
Whereas Jane Goodall's life was, above all, one of inspiration, she encouraged
people everywhere, regardless of nationality, religion, or political
affiliation, to recognize their ability and responsibility to protect
wildlife and the planet's threatened ecosystems;
Whereas, whether through scientific discovery, writing, advocacy, or personal
example, Jane Goodall conveyed an unshakable belief that individuals can
make a difference;
Whereas, on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91, Jane Goodall passed away while
continuing the work to which she had devoted her life, raising awareness
about threats to the global environment and urging humanity to act to
protect it;
Whereas her death marked the end of an extraordinary personal journey, but not
of the movement she inspired;
Whereas the programs she founded, the generations she mentored, and the many
millions she influenced stand as enduring testaments to her vision and
determination; and
Whereas Jane Goodall's legacy will continue to inspire humanity to live in
greater harmony with the natural world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) pays tribute to Dr. Jane Goodall's lifelong dedication
to the survival and ethical treatment of chimpanzees and other
living things and to wildlife conservation throughout the
world;
(2) commends her tireless efforts to educate the public and
especially children about the importance of protecting the
natural environment;
(3) extends its deepest condolences and sympathies to Jane
Goodall's family and the staff at the Jane Goodall Institute
and the Roots and Shoots Program in this time of loss; and
(4) honors the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy
of Jane Goodall, whose efforts to protect wildlife and the
natural world continue to inspire people of every nationality
on every continent.
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