Senator Claiborne Pell’s legacy

Former Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell believed in extrasensory perception and attended a seminar on UFO abductions. He also defended the rights of gay and lesbian people to hold government jobs and led the battle for federal Employment Opportunity Grants for needy college students. That program, now called Pell Grants in his honor, may be his greatest legacy. Since its inception in 1972, the program has helped more than 50 million students to attend college. The Washington Poste quoted Senator Harry Reid, who said::

Any student who has ever received federal aid has Senator Pell to thank for his or her education. The Pell Grants he created revolutionized our education system for generations of Americans who might not otherwise be able to pursue higher education.

Claiborne Pell died January 1 at the age of 90. He had represented Rhode Island in the Senate from 1960-1996.