Claiborne Pell, creator of college grants, 90, dies

By ASSOCIATED PRESS | Friday, January 2, 2009

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NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) | Claiborne Pell, the quirky blueblood who represented blue-collar Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate for 36 years and was the force behind a grant program that has helped tens of millions of Americans attend college, died Thursday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 90.

Mr. Pell, a Democrat, died at his Newport home just after midnight, according to his former assistant, Jan Demers.

Mr. Pell was first elected to the Senate in 1960. The skinny son of a New York congressman, Mr. Pell spoke with an aristocratic tone but was an unabashed liberal who spent his political career championing causes to help the less fortunate.

He disclosed that he had Parkinson's in December 1994 and left office in January 1997 after his sixth term.

"Rhode Island has lost one of its greatest statesmen, one who embodied the highest ideals of public service," Rep. Jim Langevin, Rhode Island Democrat, said in a statement Thursday. "Senator Pell was a gentleman and champion for those who needed their voices heard, and his work truly made a difference for our state and the nation."

Quiet, thoughtful and polite to a fault, Mr. Pell seemed out of place in an era of in-your-face, made-for-television politicians. A multimillionaire, he often wore old, ill-fitting suits and sometimes jogged in a tweed coat.

Though criticized by some for his fascination with UFOs and extra sensory perception, he was best remembered for his devotion to education, maritime and foreign affairs issues.

When asked to name his greatest achievement, Mr. Pell always was quick to answer, "Pell Grants."

Legislation creating the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants passed in 1972, providing direct aid to college students. The awards were renamed Pell Grants in 1980. By the time Mr. Pell retired, they had aided more than 54 million low- and middle-income Americans.

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