Mr. Wise contended in courts, articles, and books that chimpanzees, elephants, whales, and other highly intelligent creatures have a fundamental right to liberty, no less than the humans who often confined or killed them.
“I am the sole Holocaust survivor of a large, loving family,” Ms. Soumerai once said while advocating that education about genocide be mandatory for high school students.
“The important thing is to be available to the people who need me most," Mr. Kessler said of his tireless work on behalf of those living with HIV/AIDS and others marginalized by society.