John Goddard (adventurer)

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John Goddard

John Goddard (July 29, 1924 – May 17, 2013) was an American

explorer
, author, and lecturer.

Biography

In 1940, when Goddard was fifteen years old, he wrote down a list of one hundred and twenty-seven goals he wanted to accomplish in his lifespan, from learning to type on a keyboard to climbing Mount Everest. "When I was fifteen," he told LIFE Magazine, "all the adults I knew seemed to complain, 'Oh, if only I'd done this or that when I was younger.' They had let life slip by them. I was sure that if I planned for it, I could have a life of excitement and fun and knowledge".[1]

After serving in

Central States Mission, assigned to places such as Manitoba and Minnesota in about 1948-1950. He resumed his world traveling shortly after his mission, heading to Foggia in Italy.[2] He began pursuing the goals on his list in earnest, and in 1951 became the first man to navigate the entire length of the Nile river in a kayak; this and subsequent adventures, such as exploring the Congo River in 1956 and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 1968, fueled a successful career on the lecture circuit. He was also the first person to conduct an exploration of the entire Congo River.[3]

Starting in 1950, Goddard spent much time in Uganda and surrounding areas. He originally had a negative view towards the native medicine in Uganda, but had a complex view, both praising and condemning various aspects of the society at large.[4] After his kayaking trip down the whole length of the Nile, Goddard studied anthropology at the University of Southern California.[5] Over time he came to have a much more positive view of medicine men in Uganda and surrounding regions, by the 1980s declaring they had a sincere desire to help their people.[6]

Goddard wrote two books: The Survivor (

feature-length film Devil's Highway The Fabulous Colorado River.[3] John Goddard died on May 17, 2013, in Southern California.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "One man's life of no regrets". LIFE. Vol. 72, no. 11. 1972. pp. 66–68. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  2. ^ For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013 (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), p. 92-93
  3. ^ a b "Goddard highlights film date". Palo Verde Valley Times. Blythe, California. 1975-01-02.
  4. ^ Stevenson, For the Cause of Righteousness, p. 94-95
  5. ^ Stevenson, For the Cause of Righteousness, p. 95
  6. ^ Sevenson, For the Cause of Righteousness, p. 95
  7. ^ Goddard, John (1979). Kayaks down the Nile. Brigham University Press.
  8. ^ Sandra Yi (May 18, 2013). "Adventurer John Goddard dies with nearly complete bucket list". KSL. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  9. ^ Rebecca Trounson (May 21, 2013). "John Goddard dies at 88; adventurer fulfilled most of childhood goals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2013.

External links

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