Faanya Rose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Faanya Rose
Faanya Rose, New York, 2008.
Born	(1938-07-09) July 9, 1938 (age 86) Johannesburg
Other names	Faanya Goldin, Faanya Arch
Citizenship	British-American
Known for	First woman elected president of The Explorers Club
Scientific career
Fields	Exploration, Philanthropy Conservation, Managing money for companies
Institutions	The Explorers Club, Fight for Sight (UK), BAA plc

Faanya Lydia (Arch) Rose (born July 9, 1938) is a British-American businesswoman, conservationist, and explorer. She is also known for her charity work. She made history as the first woman and the first British person to be chosen as president of The Explorers Club.

When The Explorers Club started in 1904, only men who had explored wild and remote places could join. Women were not allowed until 1981. It took another 19 years before a woman was even considered for president. Faanya Rose once said that she didn't just want to be the first woman president. She wanted to be chosen because she was the most qualified person for the job.

Faanya Rose's Early Life and School

Faanya Rose was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1938. At that time, South Africa was part of the British Empire. She is the oldest child of Cecilia "Cissie" Elizabeth Arch and Simon Arch. Her father was a diamond seller and a money expert.

Her family was Jewish and came from Eastern Europe. Her father left Ukraine with his family when he was a boy. They moved to Berlin, Germany. When Nazism became strong in Germany, they moved again to Johannesburg. Her mother's family came to Johannesburg from Lithuania.

Faanya went to Johannesburg Girls Preparatory School. After finishing school there, she studied at the University of the Witwatersrand. Later, when she was working in London in the 1980s and 1990s, she took classes at the London Business School. She also studied with a group for people who manage company money.

Marriages and Family Life

Faanya & Robert Rose – Oxford UK 1995

In 1956, Faanya married Donald Goldin (1933–1979). He was from South Africa and loved sports and business. They had three sons: Grant Joseph (born 1957), Malcolm Daniel (born 1961), and Andrew Saul (born 1972).

In 1965, Donald Goldin became the general manager of the Victoria Falls Casino Hotel. The family moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Donald became a citizen of Rhodesia. In 1977, he was elected to parliament. He worked to include more Black people in the government. He died at age 46 in a plane crash during a war in Rhodesia.

Later, in the early 1990s, Faanya met Robert Rose (1921–2009) in London. He was an American businessman who had retired. He loved to travel and explore the world. They got married in 1993. Robert introduced Faanya to The Explorers Club through its British branch. After marrying Robert, Faanya became a citizen of both the United States and Britain. Robert passed away at age 88.

Life in Rhodesia

Faanya Rose moved to Rhodesia in 1965 for business. Her father, Simon Arch, helped pay for the country's first casino. It was built in Victoria Falls. He chose Donald Goldin to manage the building and daily operations. Faanya was also a partner in the business.

While living in Rhodesia, Faanya saw the end of minority rule. She arrived when Rhodesia declared its independence from Britain. She lived in the African bush and faced challenges from sanctions. These were rules put in place by Britain and the United Nations. She also lived through the difficult times of a growing war.

Donald and Faanya Goldin at dinner in Rhodesia, 1970

The Goldins had two homes. One was in Victoria Falls, near the casino. The other was in Salisbury (now Harare), the capital city. They also owned a large farm, about 3,400 hectares (8,400 acres). It was next to the Matetsi River and the Wankie Game Reserve (now Hwange National Park). Faanya and Donald knew that African wildlife was in danger. They worked hard to protect animals and wild spaces. They stopped illegal hunting and over-hunting, which was harming the large animal herds. They also worked to prevent soil from washing away. Their efforts helped increase the leopard population in the country. Faanya herself planted many acres of bougainvillea flowers to keep the topsoil in place.

By the 1970s, Rhodesia became more and more dangerous. In January 1980, Faanya Rose moved to England. In April of that year, when the majority of people gained control and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, she lost her business interests in the country.

Business and Community Work

Faanya Rose became a British citizen in 1983. In 1986, she became the main money manager for Hammerson plc, a British company that builds and invests in property. In 1988, she became the main money manager for British Airports Authority (BAA plc). This company now owns Heathrow Airport. She retired from BAA in 1998. While at BAA, she also gave special financial advice to the London Ambulance Service.

Faanya Rose has volunteered her time and leadership to many groups, including:

• President of Fight for Sight (UK) (a charity for eye research)
• Pema Ts'al Sakya Monastic Institute
• Director emerita (a past director who still has an honorary title) of the Lindbergh Foundation
• Founding trustee of the Jewish Association of Business Ethics (JABE)
• Received the Silver Award from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award
• Received the Medallion of Honor in 2002 from the Society of American Registered Architects (New York Council)

Exploring the World

Faanya on the "Great Elephant Quest" in Bardia, Nepal, 1994

Faanya Rose by explorer Robert Hyman. Base Camp, Mount Everest, 1999

When Faanya was in her twenties, she watched "Operation Noah" (1958–1964). This was the world's largest animal rescue mission. Animals were saved from the flooding caused by the Kariba Dam. During her years in Rhodesia (1965–1979), she went on safaris to hunt and on trips into the bush. She observed animal homes and the land. In 1993, she joined a trip to Tunisia to study ancient Roman mosaics. This trip was sponsored by ASPROM (Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics). In 1994, she joined a British expedition led by Colonel John Blashford-Snell. This trip, called the "Great Elephant Quest," looked into stories that giant mammoths, thought to be extinct, were causing trouble in Nepal.

Faanya became a member of the Explorers Club in 1994. In 1998, she was elected as a director. Then, in 2000, the board of directors voted for her to become the first woman president. Her sponsors for membership were John Blashford-Snell and a past Club president, John Levinson. Thor Heyerdahl, famous for his Kon-Tiki expedition, strongly supported her election to the board. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Her exploration trips include these Explorers Club Flag Expeditions: