The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) joins the conservative movement in mourning the passing of Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, longtime president of The Heritage Foundation and a tireless champion of freedom. His legacy stands as a testament to the power of ideas, institutional leadership and personal integrity.
Ed Feulner’s impact on the conservative movement is unmatched. As founding president of The Heritage Foundation, he built the organization into one of the most influential think tanks in the world. His leadership helped shape decades of public policy grounded in the principles of limited government, free enterprise and individual liberty.
To TFAS, Ed Feulner was more than a visionary leader; he was a steadfast friend. Over the years, he supported our mission to educate and develop future leaders dedicated to a free society. His generosity, encouragement and example inspired generations of TFAS students and alumni.
Ed Turner, TFAS Vice President of Development, recalls working with Feulner at The Heritage Foundation.
“Ed was an honest and truly kind man,” Turner said. “I still recall my last day working at Heritage. He ran an organization with hundreds of people, but he took the time to thank me and wish me well on my future endeavors.”
TFAS Chairman Randal Teague praised Ed Feulner as a visionary leader who combined intellectual strength with practical action to defend freedom and mentor others.
He should be remembered also for the many hundreds of lives he advised and counseled on how to be effective in their professional and personal lives.” – Randal Teague
“Ed was both a thinker and a doer, together of great magnitude,” Teague said. “He emerged early as a national leader in how best to protect political and economic freedom from the overreaches of government. Yes, he will be rightly remembered for the organizations he brought together to wage intellectual, legislative and other combat against the left. But, he should be remembered also for the many hundreds of lives he advised and counseled on how to be effective in their professional and personal lives. Bill Buckley and others are known for why we needed to win, collectively “Stop!.” Ed will be known for pulling together how to make that happen.”
Feulner spoke to TFAS students over the years, including a particularly memorable visit to the 2019 TFAS Asia class in Hong Kong. He took the time to meet each student, learn about their future plans, and impart his wisdom and leadership advice on them.
Ed Feulner was tirelessly generous with his time and wisdom. A leader who never lost sight of the foundational principles and virtues that afforded all Americans the opportunity to thrive, he helped to build and sustain a community devoted to those principles.” – Lindsay Craig
Lindsay Craig, TFAS Strategic Advisor and America 250 Program Lead, remembers Feulner as a generous mentor and principled leader who inspired others throughout their careers.
“Ed Feulner was tirelessly generous with his time and wisdom,” Craig said. “A leader who never lost sight of the foundational principles and virtues that afforded all Americans the opportunity to thrive, he helped to build and sustain a community devoted to those principles. He guided and encouraged so many people at all stages of their careers, and we are all better off for having known him. Thank you, Ed. I’m eternally grateful for your mentorship.”
TFAS President Roger Ream reflected on their long friendship:
“He was good to The Fund for American Studies and to me personally over many years,” Ream said. “We bonded when I first met him over our shared work in the office of Rep. Philip M. Crane, he a bit earlier than me (and at a much more senior level). Like him, I served as president of The Philadelphia Society and was a member of the Mont Pelerin Society and several other organizations. The world is a different place without his presence in it.”
In 2004, TFAS had the honor of recognizing Ed’s lifetime of service by presenting him with the Walter Judd Freedom Award. This award celebrates those who have advanced the cause of freedom with distinction.
As we reflect on Ed Feulner’s enduring contributions, we give thanks for his leadership, friendship and unwavering commitment to liberty. His legacy lives on in the institutions he built, the ideas he championed and the lives he touched.
May he rest in peace.