David Goodall (botanist)

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David William Goodall , AM (born April 4, 1914 in Edmonton , England - † May 10, 2018 in Liestal , Switzerland ) was an Australian botanist and ecologist of British origin.

Live and act

Goodall was born in 1914 in Edmonton, England, in what is now the London Borough of Enfield .

He received his Bachelor of Science in 1935 and a Ph.D. 1941 at the University of London . In 1948 he settled in Australia, where he worked as a senior lecturer in botany at the University of Melbourne . From 1952 to 1954 he was a senior lecturer and later reader of botany at the University College of the Gold Coast in Ghana . Goodall received his Doctor of Science from the University of Melbourne in 1953. He then returned to the United Kingdom, where he was Professor of Agricultural Botany at the University of Reading from 1954 to 1956 .

From 1956 to 1967 Goodall did research for various departments of the Australian CSIRO . From 1967 to 1968 he was a professor of biology at the University of California and then until 1974 a professor of systems ecology at Utah State University . Goodall then worked again for CSIRO and retired in 1979.

Goodall was the editor of the book series "Ecosystems of the World" published by Elsevier . Goodall co-authored two books in the series.

From 1979 to 1998, Goodall was an Honorary Research Fellow in the CSIRO Division of Land Resources Management and later the Division of Wildlife and Ecology. Since 1998 he has been an Honorary Research Associate at the Center for Ecosystem Management at Edith Cowan University in Perth , Western Australia . In 2016, for reasons of age, he was asked to vacate his office on the university campus. After widespread criticism of this decision, Goodall University offered a new office on a different campus closer to his home. Since the same year he was a member of the Order of Australia .

Goodall was a proponent of euthanasia and called for it to be granted civil status . He traveled in May 2018 to Switzerland, where he met the Swiss euthanasia organization Eternal Spirit his life at his own request at the age of 104 years ended . Even though he was not fatally ill, his health had deteriorated so significantly from a fall, among other things, that he had to stop most of his daily activities, including working at university. According to the Australian euthanasia organization Exit International , which organized the trip to Switzerland, it was his will that his body should be made available for medicine or that his ashes should be scattered. He doesn't want a funeral, memorial service or ceremony; nor do he believe in life after death. With his trip to a country where euthanasia was permitted, Goodall wanted to "initiate discussions about the kind of dignified farewell to life in other countries as well".

Goodall was married three times; The marriages produced three sons and a daughter. He also left 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren living in Australia, the United States and France.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f g h i j Goodall, David William at eoas.info, accessed on May 6, 2018.
  2. ^ Ecosystems of the World . In: eunis.eea.europa.eu, accessed on May 7, 2018.
  3. ^ Ecosystems of the World, 11: Mediterranean-type shrublands . In: eunis.eea.europa.eu, accessed on May 7, 2018.
  4. Ecosystems of the World, 12A: Hot deserts and arid shrublands, A . In: eunis.eea.europa.eu, accessed on May 7, 2018.
  5. Ecosystems of the World, 12B: Hot deserts and arid shrublands, B . In: eunis.eea.europa.eu, accessed on May 7, 2018.
  6. Charlotte Hamlyn: David Goodall, 102yo scientist, told to leave Edith Cowan University post . In: ABC.net.au of August 21, 2016.
  7. ^ Australia's oldest scientist, 102, given new office on Perth campus . In: The Guardian of December 21, 2016.
  8. Lucinda Jose, Tyne McConnon, Bridget Fitzgerald: West Australians recognized for service to resources, community, agriculture and the environment . In: ABC.net.au of January 26, 2016.
  9. a b Benjamin Rossi: Australia's oldest scientist has arrived in Switzerland - he wants to die here. In: www.nzz.ch. May 8, 2018, accessed May 10, 2018 .
  10. He has fulfilled his wish. In: Tages-Anzeiger from May 9, 2018.
  11. ^ David Goodall, 104, Australian Advocate for Assisted Dying, Ends His Life in Switzerland . In: The New York Times , May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  12. Fatal infusion: 104-year-old was euthanized. orf.at , May 10, 2018, accessed on May 11, 2018 .
  13. Laura Gartry: David Goodall: Australia's oldest working scientist fights to stay at university . In: ABC.net.au of August 27, 2016.