IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 50 

Honoring the life of Claiborne Pell, distinguished former Senator from the 

State of Rhode Island. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 13, 2009 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. HINOJOSA, 

Mr. ALTMIRE, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. 

COURTNEY, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

HOLT, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mrs. MCCARTHY of 

New York, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. PETRI, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Ms. 

WOOLSEY, Mr. WU, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. 

MALONEY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, 

Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. HINCHEY, and Mr. SIRES) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

JANUARY 13, 2009 

The Committee on Education and Labor discharged; which was considered 

and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of Claiborne Pell, distinguished former 

Senator from the State of Rhode Island. 

Whereas Claiborne deBorda Pell was born on November 22, 

1918, in the State of New York; 

Whereas after receiving a degree in history from Princeton 

University in 1940 and a Master of the Arts degree from 

Columbia University in 1946, and after serving in the 


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•HRES 50 ATH 

United States Coast Guard during World War II, Claiborne Pell continued his career in public service as part 

of the Foreign Service, serving in Czechoslovakia, Italy, 

and the District of Columbia; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell was elected to the Senate in 1960 by 

the people of the State of Rhode Island; 

Whereas in 1972, as a member of the Senate, Claiborne Pell 

was instrumental in creating the Basic Education Opportunity Grants; 

Whereas the Federal Pell Grants, renamed in honor of Claiborne Pell in 1980, have helped over 54,000,000 low- and 

middle-income students attend college and achieve their 

educational goals; 

Whereas during his time in the Senate, Claiborne Pell was 

a supporter of education, human rights, workers, international law and diplomacy, and the arts, sponsoring the 

legislation that created the National Endowment for the 

Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities; 

Whereas the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 

1965, sponsored by Claiborne Pell, became the origin for 

the Amtrak system in the Northeast corridor; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell became Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1987, and an important 

voice in United States foreign policy and against international military conflict; 

Whereas after serving 6 terms in the Senate, Claiborne Pell 

retired in 1996; 

Whereas Claiborne Pell was appointed United States Delegate to the United Nations in 1997; 


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•HRES 50 ATH 

Whereas on January 1, 2009, at the age of 90, Claiborne Pell 

passed away in Newport, Rhode Island: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the life, achievements, and distin3 guished career of Senator Claiborne Pell; 

4 (2) emphasizes that, among his legislative ac5 complishments, Senator Claiborne Pell changed the 

6 face of higher education by enabling millions of low7 and middle-income students to achieve the dream of 

8 a college education; 

9 (3) recognizes the Federal Pell grants, the edu10 cational grants that bear his name, as a significant 

11 part of the legacy of Senator Claiborne Pell. 

Æ 


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