Claiborne Pell, Ex-Senator, Dies at 90 - NYTimes.com
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) -- Claiborne Pell, the quirky blueblood who represented blue-collar Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate for 36 years and was the force behind a grant program that has helped tens of millions of Americans attend college, died Thursday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 90.