[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H54-H55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1300
           HONORING THE LIFE OF FORMER SENATOR CLAIBORNE PELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Today, Madam Speaker, I join my colleague Congressman 
Langevin in this tribute to Senator Pell, the great statesman from 
Rhode Island. His name is well-known throughout this country, 
associated most notably with the Pell Grant, the grant that allows 
millions of young people in this country opportunity to get a higher 
education.
  But Madam Speaker, we wanted to pay tribute to Senator Pell not only 
for what he did to open the doors for millions in this country for 
economic and educational opportunity, we wanted to pay tribute to him 
for all that he's done as a five-term Senator from Rhode Island and one 
of the most distinguished Senators ever to serve not only Rhode Island 
but this country.
  He was the author of the Humanities Act, National Endowment for the 
Humanities, which allows the arts to be accessible to the average 
person as well.
  He was really the founder and the person who really began the belief 
that we ought to work cooperatively around the world in terms of 
foreign policy. As the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he 
was the one who led in diplomacy.
  And my friends, he was far ahead of his time as an environmentalist 
as well.
  Madam Speaker, we could talk about his policies and what they meant 
to our country, but to know him as a person is to really say the most 
about Senator Pell. He was the most self-effacing, genteel, kind-
hearted man that you could ever know. And in a world of rough-and-
tumble politics, it's hard to find a genuine person such as that. And 
for that reason, on a personal level I was honored to know him and 
serve with him and today join my colleague, Jim Langevin, in paying 
tribute to him.
  Senator Pell left an extraordinary legacy that is appreciated by so 
many people around the world.
  He spent his life in service to our country from his start in 1960 as 
a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island to his retirement in 1997, and in the 
years beyond in which he remained active in our State.
  Our Nation has lost one of its most visionary and thoughtful 
legislative leaders, and his hallmark, the Pell Grant, exemplifies his 
efforts to promote education and opportunity for all Americans. So many 
families, though they may not know his name, were touched by the work 
and generous spirit of Senator Pell.
  There are so many areas in which he led our country to the forefront 
such as oceanography, foreign policy, and college tuition assistance. 
His commitment to public service and his notable contributions to Rhode 
Island and our Nation continue to inspire people of all generations.
  The magnitude and depth of his accomplishments may never be known 
because he let others take the credit and acclaim. His style was 
understated yet magnanimous and his work ushered in many essential 
policies that have shaped our world today.
  Earlier this week, President Clinton, Vice President-elect Biden, 
Senator Kennedy, Senator Reed and many of his other friends from around 
the globe paid tribute to his work and celebrated his life.
  He will be truly missed and my sympathies and prayers are with his 
family. He leaves behind his wife of 64 years, wonderful Nuala 
O'Donnell Pell; his son, Christopher T.H. Pell, of Newport; a daughter, 
Dallas Pell, of New York City; as well as five grandchildren and five 
great grandchildren.
  But those of us who will miss him extends much farther. It is our 
country's sorrow to lose such a giant of the Senate and the Nation.
  And with that, I would like to yield the floor to my colleague and 
friend from the Second Congressional District, Congressman Langevin.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I 
am honored to join with him today in paying tribute to our State's 
former senior Senator, Senator Claiborne Pell, who passed away on the 
1st of this year. He was an incredible public servant, and someone who 
I was proud to call a friend and a mentor. He was one of Rhode Island's 
greatest statesmen and gentlemen, as I said, who passed away on the 
first day of 2009.
  Born on November 22, 1918 into a prominent and wealthy family, 
Senator Pell was better known as a champion for the common man and also 
the ``Father of the Pell Grant Program.'' After receiving a degree from 
Princeton University, he served in the United States Coast Guard during 
World War II and later traveled the world as a Foreign Service Officer 
of the State Department. In 1960, he was elected to his first of six 
terms as a United States Senator from Rhode Island. After retiring in 
1997, he became our State's longest-serving Senator.

[[Page H55]]

  Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1994, he never let his physical 
condition diminish his spirit and he remained active in the Rhode 
Island community and the Democratic Party. In Rhode Island, the Pell 
name is legendary in politics and synonymous with the best attributes 
of public service, and his legacy endures.
  The esteemed Senator once stated, ``The strength of the United States 
is not the gold at Fort Knox or the weapons of mass destruction that we 
have, but the sum total of the education and the character of our 
people.'' Believing that education was the great equalizer, he created 
legislation that passed in 1972 establishing the Basic Educational 
Opportunity Grants--better known now as Pell Grants--that provide 
financial assistance to students who may not otherwise be able to 
attend college. It is estimated that a remarkable 54 million students 
have benefited from these grants.
  Due to his love of the arts, he also authored the legislation, as my 
colleague, Congressman Kennedy, mentioned, creating the National 
Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 
He helped shape our country's foreign policy and believed strongly in 
the power of diplomacy. He stood up to defend rights for all Americans, 
regardless of race, class or sexual orientation.
  Knowing him for more than two decades, I considered Senator Pell a 
friend and a mentor and had the opportunity of interning in his 
Washington, DC office during my studies at Rhode Island College. I 
found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and the 
beginning of a career path that led me here to Congress as a 
representative of Rhode Island's Second Congressional District.
  As I began my own career in government, Senator Pell was always there 
for me, offering advice and support.

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