WOMEN SHAPING HISTORY:
My Meeting with Jane Goodall
By Dr. Pola Rosen
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(L-R) Dr. Pola Rosen
& Jane Goodall
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The mere mention of her name conjures images of apes and chimps, living alone in the jungles and forests of the world, collecting data, intellectuality and courage. In short, a woman to be truly admired.
When I asked Dr. Goodall what her greatest obstacles were the irony of her response was not lost on me. I thought she would talk about loneliness, wild animals or the forest. Instead she spoke about the violence of man: in 1975, four students working with her were kidnapped in the Congo. As a result, the entire Gombe Research Center in Tanzania came to an end, which included the chimp project. At the same time, she lost her part-time professorship at Stanford University.
But she didn’t give up. In fact, her advice to young women today is, “If you want something, never give up. Don’t be discouraged; don’t give up your dream.”
I will never forget meeting Dr. Jane Goodall: her gentle manner, her kindness, her persistence and tenacity in the face of adversity are qualities to be emulated by our generation as well as those to come.#
