Claiborne de Borda Pell

1918 –

The Federal Pell Grant program was named in honor of this Senator from Rhode Island. Senator Pell was born in New York City on November 22, 1918. He graduated from Princeton University in 1940, and from Columbia University in 1946. He served in the United States Coast Guard 1941–1945, and in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.

View a video clip of Senator Pell speaking about the steamship St. Louis, which was turned away from the United States in 1939 with passengers seeking to escape Hitler. Clip courtesy of The Nizkor Project.