III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 8 

Relative to the death of the Honorable Claiborne de Borda Pell, former 

United States Senator for the State of Rhode Island. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 6, 2009 

Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. REED, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. 

AKAKA, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. BAYH, Mr. 

BEGICH, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. 

BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BURR, Mr. 

BYRD, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

CHAMBLISS, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COCHRAN, Ms. COLLINS, 

Mr. CONRAD, Mr. CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. 

DODD, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. GREGG, Mrs. 

HAGAN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. HATCH, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. 

INOUYE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. JOHANNS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. 

KERRY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KOHL, Mr. KYL, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. 

LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. LINCOLN, 

Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCCAIN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. 

RISCH, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SANDERS, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SHELBY, Ms. SNOWE, 

Mr. SPECTER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. UDALL of 

Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. VITTER, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. 

WARNER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. WICKER, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Relative to the death of the Honorable Claiborne de Borda 

Pell, former United States Senator for the State of 

Rhode Island. 


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•SRES 8 ATS 

Whereas Claiborne Pell represented the people of Rhode Island with distinction for 36 years in the United States 

Senate, from 1961 to 1997, and was the longest-serving 

Senator in Rhode Island’s history; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell served in the United States Coast 

Guard and the Coast Guard Reserve, beginning in 1941 

and retiring in 1978 with the rank of Captain; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell participated in the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization that established the United Nations, and was a champion of the 

United Nations throughout his life; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell served as a Foreign Service Officer 

from 1945 to 1952; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell sponsored the legislation that, in 

1965, created the National Endowment for the Arts and 

the National Endowment for the Humanities and, in 

1966, created the National Sea Grant College and Program; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell’s vision led to the creation of an improved passenger rail system in the Northeast and across 

the United States; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell believed that economic means should 

not be a barrier to a higher education and sponsored legislation creating the Basic Educational Opportunity 

Grants in 1972, which were renamed ‘‘Pell Grants’’ in 

1980; 

Whereas Pell Grants have helped 54,000,000 people in the 

United States secure a higher education; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell sought to expand educational opportunities throughout his tenure as a member and as 


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•SRES 8 ATS 

Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Education, 

Arts and Humanities; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell served as Chairman of the Senate 

Committee on Foreign Relations in the 100th through 

103rd Congresses; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell was a champion of human rights who 

devoted himself to promoting a peaceful resolution to 

international conflict and the elimination of the threat of 

nuclear weapons; and 

Whereas the hallmarks of Claiborne Pell’s public service were 

unsurpassed respect, decency, and civility: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 

3 and deep regret the announcement of the death of 

4 the Honorable Claiborne Pell, former member of the 

5 United States Senate; 

6 (2) the Secretary of the Senate communicate 

7 these resolutions to the House of Representatives 

8 and transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family 

9 of the deceased; and 

10 (3) that when the Senate adjourns today, it 

11 stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the 

12 memory of the Honorable Claiborne Pell. 

Æ 


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