Facts: - jr/sr: united states senator - party: democratic - predecessor: richard lugar howard cannon - succeeded: jack reed - birth date: november 22 , 1918 - branch: u.s. coast guard , u.s. coast guard reserve - birthname: claiborne de borda pell - profession: u.s. senator , diplomat , u.s. coast guard officer - order: chairman of the senate committee on rules and administration of the senate committee on foreign relations chairman - death date: 1 january 2009 - spouse: nuala o'donnell - term end: january 3 , 1997 3 , 1995 january 3 , 1981 january - serviceyears: 1941-45 -lrb- active -rrb- 1945-78 -lrb- reserve -rrb- - name: claiborne pell - death place: newport , rhode island - birth place: new york city - signature: claiborne pell signature.svg - successor: jesse helms charles mathias - state: rhode island - nationality: american - alma mater: princeton m.a. -rrb- university -lrb- a.b. -rrb- , columbia university -lrb- - preceded: theodore francis green - battles: world war ii - allegiance: united states - children: christopher -lrb- deceased -rrb- , herbert pell iii -lrb- deceased -rrb- pell , dallas pell yates , julia pell - term start: january 3 , 1961 3 , 1987 january 3 , 1978 january - religion: episcopalian - rank: lieutenant -lrb- active -rrb- captain -lrb- reserve -rrb- Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of claiborne pell .
claiborne de borda pell -lrb- november 22 , 1918 -- january 1 , 2009 -rrb- was a u.s. senator from rhode island , serving six terms from 1961 to 1997 , and was best known as the sponsor of the pell grant , which provides financial aid funding to american college students .a member of the democratic party , he was rhode island 's longest serving senator .