He was destined for the church, but his tastes were for a scientific career.

His acquaintance with the Abbe Hauey and Daubenton led him to study mineralogy.

He was the means of liberating Hauey from a political prison; the Abbe, as the result of the events of August, 1792, being promptly set free at the request of the Academy of Sciences.

The young Geoffroy was in his turn aided by the illustrious Hauey, who obtained for him the position of sub-guardian and demonstrator of mineralogy in the Cabinet of Natural History.

At the early age of twenty-one years, as we have seen, he was elected professor of zooelogy in the museum, in charge of the department of mammals and birds.