Franciscus Bernardus Maria de Waal (October 29, 1948 – March 14, 2024) was a renowned Dutch-American primatologist and ethologist. He served as the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, he was the director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory.

Frans de Waal was well-known for his extensive research on primate social behavior, including conflict resolution, cooperation, inequity aversion, and food-sharing. He authored numerous influential books including Chimpanzee Politics (1982) and Our Inner Ape (2005). His work has earned him membership in prominent scientific communities like the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He was recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. De Waal made significant contributions to our understanding of animal intelligence and behavior, highlighted in his book Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? Frans de Waal resided in Atlanta, Georgia.