DR. JANE GOODALL, EXPLORERS CLUB FELLOW, RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
For Immediate Release
Washington, D.C., January 4, 2025 –American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) proudly joins the global community in celebrating Dr. Jane Goodall, CBE, for being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. This accolade recognizes her unparalleled contributions to science, conservation, and her tireless advocacy for the natural world.
L. M. Levie, Chair of AIAC and Trustee of The Explorers Club, issued the following statement of congratulations: “Dr. Jane Goodall’s lifelong dedication to understanding and protecting our planet’s ecosystems is an inspiration to all who value the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. Her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and her transformative vision for conservation align with AIAC’s commitment to sustainable practices and global stewardship. We are deeply honored to celebrate this momentous achievement with her.”
Dr. Goodall’s journey began in 1960 at the age of 26, when she traveled to Gombe, Tanzania, and forever changed the world’s understanding of animal behavior through her pioneering studies of wild chimpanzees. Her discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools redefined the boundary between humans and other species. Over the decades, she has transformed her scientific insights into global advocacy through the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which she founded in 1977. Today, JGI leads initiatives in conservation, community empowerment, and youth education across 24 chapters worldwide.
In addition to sustaining the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in Gombe, the institute’s Roots & Shoots program has mobilized young people in over 70 countries to take action in their communities to benefit people, animals, and the environment. Dr. Goodall’s message of hope resonates in her prolific writings, speaking engagements, and media projects, inspiring millions to take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.
Mr. Levie added, “At AIAC, we recognize the critical importance of Dr. Goodall’s work in advancing sustainable innovation and fostering harmony between industrial progress and environmental responsibility. Her example reminds us of the potential for bold leadership and visionary thinking to create lasting positive change. AIAC is privileged to be a Patron of the Jane Goodall Institute and a Member of the Institute’s Circle of Hope, in addition to being a Partner of the Explorers Club, where Jane has long been among our most admired and distinguished Fellows.”
Dr. Goodall, who will celebrate her 91st birthday this April, continues to travel the globe to advocate for conservation and inspire action. Her latest book, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, has been embraced worldwide as a beacon of optimism and empowerment.
For further information, please see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQnMtwnS8M
About Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall, born on April 3, 1934, in London, England, is a world-renowned primatologist, ethologist, and conservationist. She is celebrated for her groundbreaking work with wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, where she transformed the understanding of primates and redefined the relationship between humans and the natural world.
From an early age, Goodall displayed a deep curiosity about animals and a passion for nature. Encouraged by her mother, she pursued her dream of studying wildlife, despite limited formal scientific training. In 1960, at the age of 26, she traveled to Tanzania to observe chimpanzees under the mentorship of renowned anthropologist Louis Leakey.
Goodall's patient and innovative approach to fieldwork led to revolutionary discoveries about chimpanzee behavior. She was the first to document that chimpanzees use tools—observing them fashioning sticks to extract termites from mounds—a behavior previously thought to be unique to humans. Her studies also revealed the complexity of chimpanzee social structures, emotional lives, and cultural practices, reshaping scientific perspectives on primate intelligence and behavior.
In 1965, Goodall earned her Ph.D. in ethology from the University of Cambridge, becoming one of the few researchers to complete such a degree without an undergraduate education. She continued her fieldwork at Gombe for over two decades, producing extensive research that remains foundational in primatology.
Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, a global nonprofit dedicated to wildlife conservation, environmental education, and sustainable development. The institute's "Roots & Shoots" program empowers young people worldwide to take action for animals, people, and the planet.
As a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2002, Goodall has used her platform to advocate for conservation, animal welfare, and climate action. She has authored numerous books, including memoirs, scientific works, and children’s literature, inspiring generations to cherish and protect the natural world.
Now in her 90s, Jane Goodall remains a tireless advocate for the environment. Her legacy as a scientist, activist, and humanitarian continues to inspire global efforts toward a more sustainable and compassionate future.
About the Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, environmental protection, and promoting harmonious coexistence between humans, animals, and the natural world. Founded in 1977 by renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, the institute builds on her groundbreaking research with wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, to inspire action for a sustainable future.
JGI's mission encompasses 5 key areas:
Chimpanzee Conservation: The institute works to protect chimpanzees and their habitats across Africa through innovative conservation strategies, including habitat preservation, anti-poaching initiatives, and community engagement programs.
Roots & Shoots: This global youth-led program empowers young people of all ages to take action on issues they care about in their communities. It fosters leadership, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility.
Sustainable Development: JGI partners with local communities in Africa to develop sustainable livelihoods, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and promote conservation-friendly practices.
Science and Technology: The institute leverages advanced technologies such as GIS mapping, drone surveillance, and data analytics to monitor ecosystems, track wildlife, and inform conservation strategies.
Education and Advocacy: JGI raises global awareness about biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and the interconnectedness of all living things. The organization encourages individuals to make ethical choices that contribute to the well-being of the planet.
Through its innovative programs and holistic approach, the Jane Goodall Institute continues to honor Dr. Goodall's legacy, promoting a vision of hope and action to ensure a thriving planet for generations to come.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall_Institute
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, and Asia. 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. AIAC companies manufacture materials, components, assemblies, packaging, equipment, and finished products. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products and serve as critical suppliers for major airports, schools, hospitals, performing art 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, signage and illumination structures in North America, 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 and blisks for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell. AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for Tesla, GM, Ford, Chrysler- Fiat, Toyota, and Nissan. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC controls and sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary.
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. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
Another AIAC affiliate, located in Germany, designs, manufactures and distributes high performance emergency portable power generators required during natural disasters, including extreme climate events worldwide. Clients include government agencies and the International Red Cross.
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, and exploration. 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.
In recent months, AIAC Companies have proudly served as a corporate sponsor of Hubert Sagniere’s historic circumnavigation of the earth in a single-engine plane (www.flightaroundtheglobe.com).
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 Economic Club of New York, 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, and the Trilateral Commission.
For further information, see:
https://www.aiac.com/our-values
About the Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is a world-renowned international organization dedicated to promoting scientific exploration and field research across land, sea, air, and space. Founded in 1904 in New York City, the club was created to unite explorers, scientists, and adventurers involved in expeditions to uncharted territories, providing a platform for the exchange of knowledge and collaboration on significant discoveries. Its mission is to advance the cause of exploration, encourage scientific research, and inspire the next generation of explorers.
The club was born from the vision of a group of prominent adventurers and scientists, including Henry Collins Walsh, Adolphus Greely, and Carl Lumboltz, who sought a place where those pushing the limits of human endurance and curiosity could gather. Early on, the club became a meeting ground for individuals who were mapping the world’s unknown regions, from the polar ice caps to the deepest jungles. Over time, the Explorers Club attracted some of the greatest explorers and scientific minds in history.
Famous members of the club include many iconic figures who have made their mark on history. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and an avid explorer of the Amazon and Africa, was an honorary member. Aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, was a pioneering member, as was Walter Cronkite, the legendary news anchor who chronicled many of the 20th century’s great scientific achievements. Astronauts John Glen and Neil Armstrong, the first to walked on the moon, were also members.
Other notable members include Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Mount Everest, Charles Lindbergh, who made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, and Thor Heyerdahl, known for the Kon-Tiki expedition across the Pacific. The club’s roster also includes oceanographer Sylvia Earle, and deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the Titanic. It is also known for embracing the next generation of explorers, such as modern-day space pioneers and conservationists.
The club’s headquarters, located at 46 East 70th Street in Manhattan, is a historic landmark filled with artifacts, maps, and memorabilia from expeditions around the globe. The building serves as a meeting place for members, and it regularly hosts lectures, special events, and its famed annual dinner, which attracts the world's leading explorers and scientists. The Explorers Club Flag, first introduced in 1918, is awarded to expeditions of scientific merit, and has been carried to the highest mountains, the deepest oceans, the North and South Poles, and even to the moon.
Today, the Explorers Club continues to support and sponsor expeditions in fields ranging from archaeology and anthropology to oceanography and space exploration. The club provides grants and fellowships to emerging explorers, while also educating the public about the importance of conservation and exploration. Its motto, "To the Field," captures its enduring commitment to advancing human knowledge through exploration and scientific discovery.
With its distinguished history and its continued role in shaping the future of exploration, the Explorers Club remains one of the most influential organizations in the world for those seeking to uncover the unknown.
The Explorers Club continues to attract an elite group of modern-day pioneers, entrepreneurs, and scientists who push the boundaries of exploration and discovery. Among its current distinguished members are some of the most influential figures in various fields. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, and Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, represent the new frontier of space exploration. Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, remains an active symbol of human space exploration. Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and conservationist, champions the cause of wildlife and environmental preservation through her membership. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Galactic, embodies the spirit of adventure and innovation in both space tourism and exploration. Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, and D.E. Shaw, the influential hedge fund manager, are both dedicated to supporting global scientific initiatives.
The Explorers Club also includes royalty among its ranks. Prince Albert II of Monaco, a passionate advocate for environmental protection, and the King of Bhutan, known for his environmental and conservation efforts, are both members. Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, who was recently made an honorary member of the club, is a supporter of exploration and scientific research, further cementing the club's global influence. The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a noted aviator and conservationist, was a long-time member.
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Explorers_Club
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