NATIONAL CATHEDRAL MEMORIAL SERVICE HONORS EXPLORER JANE GOODALL
For Immediate Release
November 13, 2025 – Washington, D.C. In a solemn memorial service livestreamed worldwide, renowned explorer and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall was honored at the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
The service was officiated by The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral. Tributes were offered by members of the Goodall family and other distinguished speakers. Attendance was by invitation only, with security protocols befitting a state funeral. In recognition of Dr. Goodall's extraordinary legacy of honors bestowed by countries, academic institutions, and organizations across the globe, the ceremony assembled eminent figures from all disciplines. Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club, attended with his wife, Nicci Young Wiese. The memorial service was widely covered by the global news media.
Notable Attendees and Speakers
Among the approximately 1,500 guests in attendance were former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), and chef and humanitarian José Andrés. An honor guard of 20 dogs waited on the steps of the Washington National Cathedral for the arrival of Dr. Goodall's casket, a touching tribute to her lifelong devotion to animals.
Actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a heartfelt eulogy, honoring his decades-long friendship with Dr. Goodall. "It's a privilege to stand here today honoring a person of such immense magnitude, an extraordinary woman who changed not only the world, but so many of us in it, my good friend Jane Goodall," DiCaprio began.
DiCaprio highlighted Goodall's unique approach to environmental advocacy. "When most of us think about environmental issues, we tend to dwell on destruction and loss, and I'll admit it's something I've always struggled with myself. But Jane led with hope. Always," he said. "She never lingered in despair. She focused on what could be done. She reminded us that change begins with compassion and that our humanity is our greatest tool."
The actor reflected on his long friendship with Goodall, which grew through their shared environmental advocacy work. "We got to cross paths in so many different places—at conferences, on panels, and in friends' homes. And every single time, we'd end up tucked away in a corner talking late into the night about politics, biodiversity, and our shared hope that the next generation might do better than we have done," DiCaprio shared, adding that he loved "every whiskey" they shared together.
He described her as "absolutely unstoppable" and recalled a particular moment that captured her essence: "When I looked to my left, Jane was looking directly at me. She told me that that's the way she preferred to take her photos, because for her it was never about the image itself. It was about that shared connection and that small moment said everything to me about who she was, an enlightened Homo Sapien."
DiCaprio concluded his eulogy by quoting Goodall: "Jane often said, 'Every day that we live, we can make an impact on the planet.' May ours be an impact of hope for her, for all living things, and for the generations to come."
Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, who played a pivotal role in ending the use of federally owned chimpanzees in research, called Goodall his friend, "a seeker of knowledge and truth" and a "woman who didn't follow the academic rules." He noted that despite being troubled by the treatment of our planet, she maintained hope because of four reasons: the power of youth, human intellect, the resilience of nature and the human spirit. "No one represented the indomitable human spirit more than Jane herself," Collins said.
Merlin van Lawick, Goodall's grandson, described her as someone who "constantly reminded us that life is full of wonders, an interconnected tapestry of diverse creatures." He shared how she would often slip away from the beach in Gombe to a secret spot beyond the vines, and would return with stories and photographs of dung beetles, armies of ants and singing wagtail birds. He recalled her favorite reflection on death—that her "next great adventure" would be discovering what comes after life. "'Either there's nothing, in which case there's nothing to worry about—or there's something, and isn't that the most exciting thing of all?'" he quoted her as saying. Van Lawick ended his eulogy with a promise: "Together we can, together we will, and together we must change this world—for generations to come. We promise to carry forth your light."
Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, remembered the quiet authority Dr. Goodall possessed. "Dr. Goodall exemplified human compassion, love, and kindness," Rathmann said. "She possessed a lively sense of humor, a genuine, demonstrated empathy towards others, and she felt responsibility to advocate for animals, people, and the environment. Her work is not done."
McClellan (Mac) Hall, the founder of Project Venture—an adventure-based learning program designed for Indigenous youth—and a longtime Goodall collaborator, delivered a Cherokee prayer at the service.
Reception and Tribute
Following the memorial service, the Jane Goodall Institute hosted a reception from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM during which The Ballad of Jane Goodall, a poetic elegy composed by AIAC Chairman and Explorers Club Trustee L. M. Levie, was recited by Dr. Deborah Brosnan, Fellow of The Explorers Club and noted marine scientist and environmentalist. The poem is found below:
Dr. Goodall's Legacy
Dr. Goodall, who passed away on October 1, 2025, at age 91 from natural causes while in California on a speaking tour, was a beloved Member, Fellow, and Medalist of The Explorers Club, the 121-year-old international, multidisciplinary professional society focused on scientific exploration, field study, and conservation, on land, sea, and in outer space.
Dr. Goodall's groundbreaking fieldwork with chimpanzees at Gombe Stream, Tanzania, revolutionized science by demonstrating the profound connection between humans and animals. Her discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools fundamentally redefined the relationship between humans and the animal kingdom. She went on to establish the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and the Roots & Shoots youth empowerment program in 1991, creating a global movement of conservation and environmental stewardship now active in more than 75 countries.
Throughout her extraordinary life, Dr. Goodall traveled approximately 300 days a year, speaking about environmental crises and her message of hope. She was honored as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, Dame Commander of the British Empire, and recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025, among countless other international accolades.
"Dr. Goodall's life was a testament to the power of one person's dedication to understanding and protecting God's creation," said The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral. "Her legacy of compassion for all living things and her unwavering message of hope will continue to inspire humanity for generations to come."
Final Public Appearance
A week before her passing, in what was to be among her last public statements, Jane Goodall delivered a keynote address in Hope for Life on Our Planet, an AIAC-sponsored program at The Explorers Club in New York. She offered a message of optimism and responsibility to the organization's members, invited guests and global audience. Other keynote speakers for the program included her fellow UN Ambassador of Peace Michael Douglas, the Academy Award-winning actor; Hans Vestberg, Verizon Chairman and CEO; Vidar Helgesen, former Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation and Norway's former Minister of Environment and Executive Director of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO; Narges Mohammadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate; Jonathan Granoff, UN Representative for the Summit of Nobel Laureates; and Dr. Robert Thurman, noted scholar and theologian. The program was led by Osvald Bjelland, the distinguished Norwegian entrepreneur, philanthropist and author of Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations, and was moderated by Lindsay Howard, Senior Policy Advisor to Michael Bloomberg and former Senior Advisor to Dr. Henry Kissinger. Mr. Levie began the program with his recital of Ode to Hope, a lyrical expression of the power of human progress and potential.
"Jane Goodall's uplifting voice continues to inspire all of us, and her legacy will guide generations of explorers and conservationists to come, reminding us that we each have a role in writing the next chapter of life on Earth," Mr. Levie stated.
Additional tributes and memorial services will take place around the world in the coming months, further celebrating the life of Jane Goodall, a global exploration and conservation icon.
AIAC and its affiliates Bradford Space, Super Alloy Manufacturing, Champlain Cable, and Canadian Kraft Paper are Partners of the Explorers Club. They support The Explorers Club's expeditions, educational programs, and special events, including Ocean Week, Climate Week, the Annual Dinner, the Washington Group Annual Dinner, the UK and Ireland Chapter Annual Dinner, the Global Exploration Summit, along with Explorers Club celebrations at the Paris Air Show, the Farnborough Air Show, and at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
For further information, please see:
https://time.com/7333560/jane-goodalls-memory-lives-on/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-13/jane-goodall-funeral-washington-national-cathedral/106006984
About Dame Jane Goodall, DBE
Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025) was a pioneering British primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian whose groundbreaking research transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and the relationship between humans and animals.
Born in London in 1934, Jane's fascination with animals began in early childhood. Despite having no formal scientific training, at age 26 she traveled to Tanzania in 1960 under the mentorship of paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey to study wild chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park. Her patient observation methods led to revolutionary discoveries: she was the first to document chimpanzees making and using tools, a capability previously thought to be uniquely human. She also observed complex social behaviors, emotions, and family structures among chimpanzees, fundamentally changing scientific understanding of primates and our place in the natural world.
Jane earned her PhD in ethology from Cambridge University in 1965 and continued what became the world's longest-running study of wild chimpanzees, spanning over six decades. Beyond her scientific achievements, she became a tireless global advocate for conservation, animal welfare, and environmental protection.
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to continue her work. In 1991, she established Roots & Shoots, a youth empowerment program now active in over 75 countries. She was appointed UN Messenger of Peace in 2002 and received numerous honors including Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dr. Goodall traveled approximately 300 days a year well into her later life, inspiring millions with her message of hope and individual action. She passed away on October 1, 2025, at age 91, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of scientific discovery, conservation leadership, and environmental activism.
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall
https://janegoodall.org/our-story/about-jane/
About The Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global community conservation organization founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1977. Originally established to support the research at Gombe, the Institute has evolved into a comprehensive conservation and education organization with a presence in 27 countries worldwide.
Mission
The Jane Goodall Institute works to protect chimpanzees and inspire action to conserve the natural world we all share, improving the lives of people, animals, and the environment. The organization operates on the principle that everything is connected and everyone can make a difference.
Core Programs
Community-Centered Conservation (Tacare)
JGI pioneered a holistic approach to conservation that recognizes the essential connection between protecting wildlife and supporting local communities. The Tacare program helps communities develop sustainable livelihoods while conserving chimpanzee habitats, addressing needs in education, health, food security, and economic development.
Chimpanzee Sanctuaries
The Institute operates sanctuaries for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees in Africa, including Tchimpounga in the Republic of the Congo and Chimp Eden in South Africa, providing lifetime care for chimpanzees who cannot be returned to the wild.
Research and Science
JGI continues the groundbreaking research begun by Dr. Goodall at Gombe, now the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in the world. The Institute uses innovative science and technology to advance conservation efforts.
Roots & Shoots
Founded by Dr. Goodall in 1991, Roots & Shoots is a global youth-led environmental and humanitarian program active in over 75 countries. The program empowers young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects for their communities, animals, and the environment, creating the next generation of compassionate changemakers.
Global Network
The Jane Goodall Institute operates through a network of 27 national offices, including:
The Jane Goodall Institute UK (founded 1988)
The Jane Goodall Institute Global (established 2013)
The Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation (founded 2017)
Impact
Through its community-centered approach, the Institute has transformed conservation practice by demonstrating that protecting wildlife and improving human lives are interconnected goals. The organization continues Dr. Goodall's vision of fostering respect and responsibility for all living things, building a future grounded in compassion, collaboration, and hope.
For further information, please see:
About the National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, stands as an architectural masterpiece and spiritual center in the nation's capital. Located on Mount St. Alban, the highest point in Washington, D.C., this Neo-Gothic structure closely follows the English Gothic style of the late fourteenth century and ranks as the second-largest church building in the United States and the third-tallest building in Washington, D.C.
Chartered by the United States Congress on January 6, 1893, the cathedral's construction began in 1907 with President Theodore Roosevelt laying the foundation stone. The building was completed in 1990, though construction slowed during periods of economic hardship and stopped altogether during 1977–80. This 83-year construction journey spanned two World Wars, the Great Depression, and sixteen presidencies.
Built in the shape of a cross with a length extending some 530 feet, the cathedral can seat about 4,000 people. The edifice was constructed without the use of steel support in a centuries-old manner—using artists, sculptors, and stone masons. The cathedral includes 112 gargoyles, 231 stained glass windows, and at least one stone weighing more than five tons.
While the cathedral serves as the seat of both the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, it has been promoted as more than simply an Episcopal cathedral from its earliest days. Planners hoped it would play a role similar to Westminster Abbey, serving as a national shrine and venue for great services. Today it functions as the nation's spiritual home, welcoming people of all faiths.
The cathedral has witnessed many significant services connected to its national profile. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached his final Sunday sermon from the cathedral's pulpit, just days before his assassination in 1968. State funerals for Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush have been held in the church, as well as memorial services for several other presidents.
The cathedral sits on an extraordinary 57-acre hilltop parcel, featuring gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., including a medieval-style Bishop's Garden and one of the only old-growth forests in Washington, D.C. Over 270,000 people visit the structure annually. Funded entirely by private sources since its inception, the cathedral continues to rely on donations for its maintenance and upkeep, standing as a testament to faith, craftsmanship, and national heritage.
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_National_Cathedral
About The Explorers Club
Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club is a prestigious international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. Based at its historic headquarters in New York City, the Club has served as a meeting point and unifying force for explorers and scientists worldwide for over a century.
The Club's membership includes many of history's most renowned explorers and scientists, from polar explorers Robert Peary and Roald Amundsen to oceanic pioneers Jacques Cousteau and Robert Ballard, from aviation legend Amelia Earhart to space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Lovell. The Club continues to support cutting-edge exploration in every realm—from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest peaks, from archaeological discoveries to space missions.
The Explorers Club is renowned for its rigorous standards of membership, requiring nominees to have made significant contributions to exploration or the sciences that advance our understanding of the world. The Club's Board of Trustees, Legacy Society, and various committees work to preserve the Club's mission while fostering new generations of explorers through grants, expeditions, and educational programs.
The Club's famous annual dinner, featuring exotic cuisine and presentations by leading explorers, has become legendary in New York society. More importantly, The Explorers Club continues to fund and support expeditions that push the boundaries of human knowledge, from climate research in Antarctica to biodiversity studies in remote rainforests to preparations for future Mars missions.
AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie serves as Member of its Board of Trustees, Poet Laureate, and Member of its Annual Dinner Committee and Legacy Society Committee. His is also an Honorary Member of the UK and Ireland Chapter. As Poet Laureate, Mr. Levie contributes to the Club's cultural mission by capturing the spirit of exploration through verse, honoring both historical achievements and contemporary discoveries that continue to expand the frontiers of human knowledge and experience.
For further information, please see:
About American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) is a diversified industrial group with manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia-New Zealand. AIAC has acquired and grown non-core subsidiaries and divisions of Boeing, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Johnson Controls, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas, Visteon, Carlyle, Ahlstrom, Tolko, Groupe Suez, Groupe Rexel, and many other leading multinational corporations.
AIAC companies serve companies and governmental entities worldwide in all major sectors, including aviation, space, defense, automotive, truck, rail, marine, petrochemical, solar, nuclear, food, confectionary, beverage, civil engineering and infrastructure, commercial construction, mining, dredging, disaster relief, education, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products and serve as critical suppliers for the construction of major airports, schools, hospitals, performing arts and sports centers, offices and hotels throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. AIAC is a leading manufacturer of building, street, and highway signage in Europe, and a distributor of electrical products throughout France.
Of note, AIAC purchased Boeing Canada in 2005 and has produced over 10,000 unique components for every Boeing jet plane ever since, reliably serving Boeing from manufacturing facilities in North America. A leader in ultra-high precision jet engine component manufacturing, AIAC companies produce 2,200 fan blades for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell.
AIAC companies actively support exploration into outer space, manufacturing critical components for launching and propelling spacecraft and satellites. AIAC customers in this sector include NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing. research. AIAC affiliate, Champlain Cable Corporation, supported the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space missions with high performance wire and cable. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for GM, Ford, Chrysler-Fiat, Toyota, Nissan and Tesla. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary.
AIAC affiliate, Metallwarenfabrik Gemmingen GmbH, located in Germany, designs, manufactures and distributes high performance, emergency portable power generators utilized in global conflict zones and during natural disasters.
For further information, please see:
About AIAC Philanthropy
AIAC and the AIAC Foundation support a wide range of nonprofit, nonsectarian, bipartisan organizations which promote international conflict resolution, disaster relief, economic development, environmental sustainability, exploration, and the performing arts.
The exploration-focused nonprofit organizations which they actively support include the Explorers Club, the National Geographic Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Space Society, and the United States Space Foundation.
AIAC's other beneficiaries include the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation Inc., the Asia Society, the Atlantic Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Gates Philanthropy Partners, the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carter Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Foreign Policy Association, the Institut Française des Relations Internationales, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Crisis Group, the International Rescue Committee, the Japan Society, the JFK School of Government of Harvard University, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the Sierra Club, the Trilateral Commission, and the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
For further information, please see:
https://www.aiac.com/our-values
Media Contact:
Isabel Carro-Toro, Vice President
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
+34 689 295 827 (Spain)
+1 787 244 3175 (USA)
icarro-toro@aiac.com
