The Rutgers
University community mourns the passing of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne. 
Congressman Payne was a great friend of Rutgers and a constant advocate for
access and opportunity in higher education.

He championed Pell Grants,
school-to-work programs and the College Cost Reduction Act to benefit students
nationwide, and he had a special relationship with Rutgers University’s Newark
Campus, located in the heart of his Congressional district.

For decades
Congressman Payne brought an annual pre-college fair to Rutgers-Newark
involving 500 to 1,000 children from the Greater Newark area, and many of our
university’s students were recipients of his scholarship program or served as interns
in his office on Capitol Hill.

Don Payne represented New Jersey with
distinction and dignity throughout his 12 terms, and he was a towering figure
in international relations, particularly U.S. relationships in Africa. He
leaves a legacy of helping people make a better life for themselves – in his
district and around the world. Our hearts are with his family, his
colleagues and the people of the 10th Congressional District whom he served so
well.