DISQUS

AMERICAblog: Claiborne Pell, the Senator who helped a lot of students get through college, died today

  • cowboyneok · 1 year ago
    Hmmm... sad. Of course, with a legacy like providing college to so many kids, who otherwise would not get a college education, he was a Democrat.
  • shell · 1 year ago
    The Republicans not only don't want to FUND any such programs, they actively want to stop college attendance. Because the more educated a person is, the more they vote Democrat.

    Knowledge = Democrat
    Ignorance = Republican

    It's as simple as that.
  • Older_Wiser · 1 year ago
    Helped me, too, back in th early 70s, although as a 33 yr old I was discouraged from even going back to school. It had not quite caught on for older adults to be mingling amongst younger students. Glad to see that's changed these days. It reminds me that we've come quite a way since a counselor (another woman!) told me at that age I was being "unreasonable" about trying to go on to get a law degree. It wasn't for lack of trying since I was an excellent student, I just couldn't get used to the poverty of not having a full time job and trying to feed 2 kids. That, and discouragement from almost everyone around me in spite of a 3.87 GPA. Just think, I would have been 40 when I got that law degree...today in some circles, that's the new 20. : )
  • Tim · 1 year ago
    I wouldn't have a college degree without the Pell Grant. I grew up in Rhode Island and saw him occasionally at Parades. I often think of him with deep gratitude. Thank you Senator Pell!
  • BarrieT · 1 year ago
    Nice to have a positive story about a politician, even in a time of sadness. If only this could inspire in present incumbents the aspiration to make a difference that people notice and appreciate.
  • Bill · 1 year ago
    I got a Pell History Award when I graduated high school in Rhode Island. Consisted of a nice note and a copy of his book, But at the time meant a whole lot. He will be missed.
  • kh7463 · 1 year ago
    Wow. Between the Pell Grant and another grant I had my whole first year of college paid for, at a private school yet.
  • ndtovent · 1 year ago
    Wow! I hadn't heard this.. Sad. He was a great guy. You HEAR that, you f****g selfish republicans?!
  • Mike in DC · 1 year ago
    A real loss that I hope our nation takes time to mark. He brought dignity and humility to public service. I have two great memories of him - as a Rhode Islander in college in Washington DC, I was invited each year to the annual barbeque at his home for all Rhode Island students. A lovely home, with his staff flipping burgers, and he and his wife Nuala greeting everyone warmly. He didn't need our votes, he had a safe seat. But he was gracious to his core. Years later I was at the opening of a gay bar in Newport, and in he walked with his wife and a group of friends, who I later learned were investors in the bar. Long before his daughter came out, he was a champion of civil rights. His legacy of progressive decency endures.
  • SkippyFlipjack · 1 year ago
    "He also sponsored the legislation that founded the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities."

    If this were Al Gore, they'd say he'd claimed to have invented art.
  • Ksue · 1 year ago
    RIP, Senator Pell.

    While the Pell grants may not be quite as lucrative in these days, they have certainly helped us put our 3 girls through college.

    I had no idea he was the originator of these grants. Thanks for telling us, Joe. Now I know where to send my gratitude.

    As is so often true, the end of one year and the beginning of another sees a lot of REALLY AWESOME people choosing to move on from this troubled plane to another dimension.

    I reckon Barbara Jordan, Molly Ivins, Ann Richardson and a host of others will be enjoying Senator Pell's heavenly barbecues in the days and weeks to come.

    Happy 2009 to all. I can hardly wait for January 20.
  • Bostonian_Queer_in_Dallas · 1 year ago
    Senator Pell and his ilk of public servants is probably gone now. The man was very classy, very wealthy, AND very liberal. Like a Kennedy, he had noblesse oblige to help the less fortunate get ahead. It was not elitist or classist. He lived his beliefs and put them to work in the Senate. I don't see a whole lotta that stuff nowadays.
  • mike in dc · 1 year ago
    Thank you, Senator Pell. My mother raised five children after being abandoned by my father. The Pell Grant made it possible for me to come from a low-income family and attend a leading university. It was a wonderful opportunity that made all the difference in the world in my life.
  • Mrs. Tarquin Biscuitbarrel · 1 year ago
    Thank you, Senator Pell. My Pell Grant (formerly called Basic Educational Opportunity Grants) helped me graduate from a leading university with very little assistance from my parents. (Unlike yours, Mike, they had it. They just didn't share.) I worked my butt off, but I've never stopped thanking Senator Pell after all these years. Have a good one, Sir, wherever it is you're headed!