The Heritage Foundation Mourns the Loss of Its Founder, Dr. Edwin J. Feulner

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Edwin J. Feulner, founder, trustee, and the longest-serving president of The Heritage Foundation.

Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order. His unwavering love of country and his determination to safeguard the principles that made America the freest, most prosperous nation in human history shaped every fiber of the conservative movement—and still do.

Ed founded The Heritage Foundation in 1973, planting a flag for Truth in a town too often seduced by power. What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became—under Ed’s tireless leadership—the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement. In the four decades that followed, Ed’s foresight, discipline, and moral clarity made Heritage a battleship, unshaken by political winds and focused solely on fighting for the American people.

After leading Heritage for 37 years as president, Ed continued to serve on our Board of Trustees, offering encouragement and sage advice in equal measure. Ed was an important mentor to us, respectively, and to all of those who had the honor of knowing him. In addition to his work at Heritage, he continued his active participation in many other conservative organizations.

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.

His ‘Feulnerisms’ still resonate in the halls of Heritage—where they will always be remembered. ‘People are policy,’ for instance— the heartbeat of his mission—to equip, encourage, and elevate a new generation of conservative leaders, not just in Washington, but across this great country. And we still remember his adjuration to never be complacent or discouraged: ‘In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.’

Ed himself seemed immune to discouragement. Every day was, for him, a new opportunity to strike a blow for freedom, to further the promise of America and make it a reality for all. His was a life of joyful defiance in the face of tyranny and bureaucratic decay—a life defined by courage, conviction, and the word he signed off with every single day: Onward!

To his beloved wife, Linda, their children, and grandchildren—we extend our deepest prayers and condolences. And to Ed—we say thank you. Thank you for showing us what one faithful, fearless man can do when he refuses to cede ground in the fight for self-governance.

The Heritage Foundation will honor Ed’s life the best way we know how: by carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination. We will never forget his leadership, his example, or his favorite charge:

“Onward. Always.”