Onward! Along with a dozen other sayings, this was the signature of Edwin J. Feulner.
There is not a week that goes by that I do not quote him. He was a giant of the conservative movement, but I got to work with him day to day as his chief of staff while he was carefully stewarding and looking to hand over the institution he founded, The Heritage Foundation. While he built institutions and our movement, his most lasting legacy for me is how he treated people.
First, the builder. Ed was an entrepreneur. Famously, he started Heritage with a business plan he pitched to Joe Coors, the beer magnate. It would be a think tank, but with an emphasis on “tank.”
He often called it a “do” tank—he could enjoy a theoretical conversation as much as the next guy, but it had to get to impact. He didn’t stop at Heritage, of course. He started Townhall.com in the early days of the internet, and then laid the groundwork for The Daily Signal as a conservative outlet that today stands on its own as one of the fastest-growing news organizations on the right.
He also entrusted two of his former chiefs of staff, Mike Needham and Tim Chapman, with starting an affiliated 501(c)4 group, Heritage Action for America. “If we can’t make them see the light, then we will make them feel the heat,” he said. While he didn’t relish the combat, he knew Heritage Action was needed and then he promptly picked two of Washington’s best young operatives to make it happen.
“People are policy”—and Ed had a knack for finding and promoting talent. One of today’s stars of the movement, Bridgett Wagner, started as his research assistant before rising to vice president at Heritage and becoming one of the most critical connectors in the movement. Ed would often say “everyone in Washington works for Newt Gingrich or Bridgett Wagner.”
Ed had a way of personifying “adding and multiplying, not dividing and subtracting.” He hesitated to read anyone out of the conservative movement and looked for the positive in all corners of conservatism. But he tempered his good-natured conviviality with discernment, somehow avoiding getting too closely entangled with those who found scandal and controversy. He had zero tolerance for any bigotry on the basis of race or religion, and there was never a whiff of any of that at Heritage thanks to his zeal. His impeccable character ensured an upstart, nimble shop on Capitol Hill became the “beast” of all think tanks (in the words of the New York Times).
In its early years, Heritage focused on economics and foreign policy while the Free Congress Foundation took the social issues. Over time, Ed moved Heritage slowly and steadily, following the Kirkian “permanent things” pathway, toward defense of traditional marriage and life in the womb. By the time he handed over the reins to his successor, Heritage was firmly conservative in every way.
Ed Feulner paid attention to details. He used to refer to himself as the “highest paid proofreader in the building.” Whether it was copy to go to donors, a policy paper, or an op-ed, the men and women of Heritage cringed when they saw their copy marked with a red pen and “—EJF.” He especially took great care in communicating and caring for donors. “Donor intent” was a mantra. He personally reviewed seating charts (always an eye for protocol) and photographs. He is the reason that to this day Heritage has such top-notch events and retains a great reputation for class and elegance.
For someone at the top of the Washington beltway, he never used people as a means, always an end. That is probably because of his foundational Catholic faith. His generation did not talk about religion much, and Ed was not different in that way. But he lived out his faith through devoted attendance and quiet witness.
Heritage was very much a family enterprise, and it was important to Ed that spouses feel at home. Family always trumped everything for Ed.
In my early years at Heritage, when I was one of the younger members of senior management, my wife always felt self-conscious among such giants. But she would ask, “Will Ed and Linda be there?” and hearing they would be present put her at ease. Ed would always seek her out early in an evening to welcome her—he had a gift to know who needed reassurance like that. He would make everyone feel comfortable. Anytime someone would sheepishly ask for time off to care for family, he would suggest they be sure to take enough time. He must have insisted “family first!” a hundred times a year. He meant it.
He cared deeply for every employee of Heritage. Helping a long-time employee when her son got into trouble. Sending a note to another on his birthday. His generous gifts at Christmas to his immediate staff, several of whom—Kathy, Missy, and Kevin—worked for him for decades and remained always fiercely loyal.
To the broader team, he loved to hand out the Christmas cash bonus. I’m not sure if he came up with that idea or if it was his longtime partner in the enterprise, Phil Truluck. They had such a mind meld it was hard to know where one ended and the other began. Ed and I attended Phil’s funeral service together, and even though they were both retired when Phil passed, Ed felt like he lost his right arm. He loved Phil and Anne and the Truluck kids. He knew building Heritage was a team endeavor and Phil was his partner.
Ed would wax poetic about civil society, but he backed it up with time for many groups, especially the Boy Scouts. He would sign hundreds of letters congratulating those who made Eagle Scout. He was active in dozens of civil society groups.
While always private about his family, it was clear where his heart was. He adored his family. Sometimes we would chat about an update from his kids or some item about his beloved Linda. Of course, the grandkids could do no wrong! He was proud of his family, and he cared for Linda intensely. She was always first in his mind.
They say impact, like much else, compounds over time. I got to see the fruit of his many decades of work every day. He kept up with friends and co-conspirators over decades. He always made his friends a priority over the most powerful people in the country. He, of course, had an incredible rolodex and a packed schedule of meetings and events from coast to coast and beyond. In particular, he relished trips to Korea and Hong Kong, to connect with America’s best friends and some of the most powerful defenders of freedom.
When all that is considered, I’ll remember him best as a visionary leader and uniter, a great boss, a mentor, and above all, a family and civic-minded man and a friend.
Onward! Always.