Edwin J. “Ed” Feulner Jr. was a titan of the public policy world whose life and legacy shaped the modern conservative movement. As the co-founder and longest serving president of The Heritage Foundation, Ed’s courage, conviction and leadership of the institution he built transformed conservative values into effective policy solutions for more than three decades.
His vision for the role free markets should play in our society led to the founding of influential conservative institutions including The Philadelphia Society, State Policy Network and American Legislative Exchange Council.
Ed was a relentless and unapologetic advocate for the role conservative think tanks play in educating policymakers, moving them from being reactive to proactive. The joyful courage and perseverance he embodied everyday comes from his unwavering love for America’s founding principles and his desire to see all Americans prosper.
His love of our country has been an inspiration to us at Philanthropy Roundtable, and we’re proud to be part of the movement carrying on his incredible legacy to shape a free and flourishing America.
Ed’s colleagues at The Heritage Foundation captured his vision beautifully:
“Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of The Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, ‘big-tent conservatism.’ He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity. One of his favorite mantras was ‘You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.’ His legacy is not just the institution he built, but the movement he helped grow—a movement rooted in faith, family, freedom, and the founding.”
Here are notable tributes from conservative leaders across the movement:
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation:
“Those who knew Ed remember his fundamental decency, cheerful disposition, and infectious optimism. Even in Washington’s often cynical environment, he maintained his principles while remaining practical. Ed was a happy warrior who joyfully believed that each day brought new opportunities to advance the cause of freedom.” –
Lawson Bader, CEO of DonorsTrust and Board Chairman at State Policy Network:
“People will never fully appreciate how ‘giant’ of a man Ed truly was. Countless leaders and organizations, including me, personally, have benefited from his wisdom, friendship, perspective and, most importantly, his desire simply to help. He intrinsically understood we are indeed a ‘movement’ – of disparate people, institutions, even ideas – but a movement grounded in First Principles – including our Republican form of government. Ed was a passionate defender and promoter of SPN, and his friendship with Tom Roe was instrumental in SPN’s founding. A leader like Ed comes along only once a generation, but it’s multiple generations that have and will continue to reap the benefits of his legacy.”
Lawrence W. Reed, President Emeritus of Foundation for Economic Education:
“The moment I heard that Ed had passed, two words flashed in my mind: movement builder. He always knew that for conservative or libertarian ideas to prosper, they must flow from as many fountains as possible. So even as he grew Heritage, he helped allied organizations to grow, too.”
Yuval Levin, Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute:
“Ed Feulner was a profoundly good and decent man who loved America and did a lot to make it better.
“There are a lot of other things that can and will be said about him: He had real vision and real savvy, which are much rarer in Washington than they ought to be. He was also a coalition-builder, who always preferred addition to division in his political and policy projects. He had an exceptional grasp of how ideas are (and are not) connected to action in politics. And he had a knack for betting on the right people and giving them what they needed to succeed.”
Tim Chapman, president of Advancing American Freedom and Ed’s former chief of staff:
“To work with him was to learn the virtue of humility and the power of perseverance. He was rarely the loudest voice in the room, but it was often the wisest. His mentorship shaped a generation of conservative leaders, and his legacy will shape many more to come.
“Ed Feulner didn’t need to be the face of the movement. He was its backbone. And now that he’s gone, the burden falls to the rest of us — to build, to train, to equip, and to lead.”
National Review:
“Ed Feulner believed that in Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats. His life and legacy prove that this is true. But his passing nonetheless remains a loss for the movement he did so much to build. Here at National Review, we will continue to honor his legacy by moving ‘onward. Always.’”
