I was in DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. the first time Jane Goodall spoke about her work in the United States on February 28, 1964. I was 9 years old, and I am still inspired by what I heard that night.
My parents were members of the National Geographic Society and subscribed to a series of lectures that brought the great explorers of the era to DAR Constitution Hall to report on their work. Both of my parents were enthralled by lectures describing the natural wonders and cultures of the world, many of which had never been previously explored or even photographed
In the 1960s, the National Geographic lectures provided a unique window into the extraordinary explorations of Earth, the solar system and humankind.
This was before color television, televised National Geographic Specials, Discovery Channel, or even color pictures in newspapers. The National Geographic lectures were as close as I could come to visiting the furthest corners and cultures of the planet.
To this day, I remember hearing Louis and Mary Leakey describe human ancestors who were millions of years old, Jacques Cousteau describe exploring the depths of the sea, and Thor Heyerdahl describe his voyages on the Ra across the Atlantic Ocean.
It is unlikely that I understood the substance in these great lecturers. I was too young to know anything about geological time, the diversity of life, human anatomy, or human culture. It did not matter. I was mesmerized by the sights and moved by a sense of exploration, adventure and wonder that infused my dreams for days. Years later, I recognized these emotions in the writings of Schopenhauer who wrote:
He may comprehend only their idea that is foreign to all relation, gladly linger over its contemplation and be elevated precisely in this way above himself, … he is then filled with the feeling of the sublime; he is in a state of exaltation…
But Jane Goodall’s lecture was different.
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