Claiborne Pell

Claiborne Pell GCC GCM
Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Richard Lugar
Succeeded by	Jesse Helms
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In office January 3, 1978 – January 3, 1981
Preceded by	Howard Cannon
Succeeded by	Charles Mathias
United States Senator from Rhode Island
In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Theodore Green
Succeeded by	Jack Reed
Personal details
Born	Claiborne de Borda Pell (1918-11-22)November 22, 1918 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 1, 2009(2009-01-01) (aged 90) Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Nuala O'Donnell ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	4
Parent	Herbert Pell (father)
Relatives	John Pell (ancestor) William C. C. Claiborne (great-great-great-granduncle) Clay Pell (grandson)
Education	Princeton University (AB) Columbia University (MA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Coast Guard
Years of service	1941–1945 (active) 1945–1978 (reserve)
Rank	Lieutenant (active) Captain (reserve)
Unit	United States Coast Guard Reserve
Battles/wars	World War II
Claiborne Pell's voice Pell, as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks in support of confirming James Baker as United States secretary of state Recorded January 25, 1989

Claiborne de Borda Pell GCC GCM (November 22, 1918 – January 1, 2009) was an American politician and writer who served as a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island for six terms from 1961 to 1997. He was the sponsor of the 1972 bill that reformed the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, which provides financial aid funding to American college students; the grant was given Pell's name in 1980 in honor of his work in education legislation.^[1][2]

A member of the Democratic Party, Pell remains the longest serving U.S. Senator in Rhode Island.