Clay Pell

Herbert Claiborne Pell IV (born November 17, 1981)[1] is an American lawyer, military officer, and politician. He is a commander and judge advocate in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education in the United States Department of Education. He is the grandson of the late Senator Claiborne Pell. Pell ran for the 2014 Democratic Party nomination for Governor of Rhode Island in a competitive three-way race ultimately won by Rhode Island State Treasurer Gina Raimondo.

Clay Pell
Clay Pell's official photograph from the Department of Education, taken 2013.
Personal details
Born
Herbert Claiborne Pell IV

(1981-11-17) November 17, 1981
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2017)​

Youna Kim
​
(m. 2021)​
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)
Stanford University (MBA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Coast Guard
Years of service2009–2011 (active)
2011–present (reserve)
RankCommander
UnitSoutheastern New England
United States Coast Guard Reserve

Early life and education

Pell was born to Herbert C. Pell III and Eugenia Stillman Diehl Pell on November 17, 1981, in Tucson, Arizona. Pell is the grandson of Senator Claiborne Pell and Nuala Pell (the granddaughter of A&P grocery chain founder George Huntington Hartford).[2] Through his grandfather, he is a direct descendant of Wampage I, a Siwanoy chieftain.[3]

Pell attended The Thacher School and graduated in 2000. He also attended the School Year Abroad (SYA) in Zaragoza, Spain (1999) and Beijing, China (2001).[4] He graduated from Harvard College in 2005 with high honors and a bachelor's degree in social studies. Pell also received a Citation in Modern Standard Arabic from Harvard. Pell went on to graduate from Georgetown University Law Center with a J.D. in 2008.[5][6]

Career

In 2009, Pell joined the United States Coast Guard and graduated first in his class from the Coast Guard Direct Commission Officer School. He served on active duty as a judge advocate from 2009 to 2011.[7] He currently is a commander and judge advocate in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.[8]

Pell served as Director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Staff,[5] and was a White House Fellow from 2011 to 2012.[6]

In 2013, Pell served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of International and Foreign Language Education at the United States Department of Education.[6][9] His support for language education and cultural proficiency was recognized by the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages which presented him with its Advocacy Award in 2014—an award Pell's grandfather received in 1988.[10]

On January 27, 2014, Pell confirmed he would run for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2014 election[11] His then-wife, Michelle Kwan, appeared in TV ads on his behalf to garner support among female voters before the September 9th, 2014 primary.[12] Pell placed third in the Democratic primary, which was won by Gina Raimondo.

In 2016, Pell was elected as a presidential elector from Rhode Island and served as President of the Rhode Island Electoral College.

In 2020, Stanford University awarded Pell the Sloan Fellowship at its Graduate School of Business.

Personal life

In January 2013, Pell married five-time world figure skating champion and two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan. The two first met in April 2011.[13] In 2017, Pell announced in a statement that he had filed for divorce from Kwan.[14]

On February 2, 2021, Pell announced he had married his former high school classmate Youna Kim.[15]

Pell is a Christian.[1] He speaks English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese,[16] and Arabic.[5][17]

References
  1. Fitzpatrick, Edward (December 14, 2013). "Edward Fitzpatrick: In governor's race, would Clay Pell be David or Goliath?". Providence Journal. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  2. G. Wayne Miller. "Nuala Pell, 89, was an advocate for the arts and humanities". providencejournal.com. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  3. 1966 Congressional Record, Vol. 112, Page S606 (1966-01-19)
  4. "The Thacher School ~ Pell-Mell: House of Stone to White House". Thacher.org. September 22, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. "Clay Pell moves from White House post to U.S. Dept. Ed. | Breaking News | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal". News.providencejournal.com. May 7, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  6. Clay Pell confirms he may seek Democratic nomination for RI governor in 2014 Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "2011-2012 Class of White House Fellows". The White House. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  8. Steinberg, Jacques (February 3, 2010). "A Personal Perspective on Obama's Pell Grant Infusion".
  9. Lee, Karen (January 19, 2013). "Democratic Party chairman: Clay Pell, late senator's grandson, weighing run for R.I. governor | Breaking News | providencejournal.com". The Providence Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  10. "The James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award". Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  11. "Political heir Pell, Kwan spouse, runs for RI gov". January 27, 2014.
  12. Shepard, Steven (July 24, 2014). "Kwan Leaps into R.I. Gov Race". www.politico.com. Politico. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  13. "Michelle Kwan Is Engaged". People. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  14. "Clay Pell files for divorce from Michelle Kwan". Providence Journal. March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  15. "Clay Pell Announces He Has Remarried". GoLocalProv.com. February 2, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  16. "Clay Pell's résumé comes under closer scrutiny". WPRI. August 12, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2017. "Pell spent a year abroad ... at Princeton University’s Beijing campus"
  17. "Language Magazine Interview with Clay Pell - Language Magazine". Language Magazine. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
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