Senator Who Created Pell Grant Dies

Claiborne Pell, a former Rhode Island senator who created a college grant program that would aid tens of millions of low and moderate-income class students, passed away Thursday at age 90.
An obituary in The New York Times cites Pell as often having said he wanted to help students meet the often high costs of pursuing higher learning because the G.I. Bill of Rights — a program of federal educational grants for returning service members after World War II — had meant so much to him personally.
The obit states that Pell — having been elected to the Senate in 1960 — sponsored the preparation of a statistical report that became the basis of a bill creating the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, or BEOG, to provide financial aid funds to college students.
In 1980, BEOG was officially renamed Pell Grants.
Having served six terms in the U.S. Senate, Pell also authored legislation that led the way for the creation of National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was the Senate author of the National Sea Great College and Program Act of 1966.
Pell, a Democrat, retired from public office in 1997. He earned degrees from Princeton and Columbia universities.
On its website, Salve Regina University (R.I.) posted a message in homage to the late senator. In 1996, the Pell Center for International Relations & Public Policy was established at the Newport institution in Pell's honor.

Comments

[Twin xl]

Claiborne Pell, may you rest in peace. Many thanks for all that you have done.