Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner dies

Edwin J. Feulner, founder of the influential conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, died on Friday, surrounded by family, the organization said. He was 83. Feulner became a founding trustee of Heritage in 1973 and led it for 37 years as its longest-serving president, the organization said. He also served as a trustee after his time as president. Feulner traveled more than 150,000 miles a year to promote Heritage’s work, according to its website. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and their children and grandchildren.

Feulner didn’t want Heritage to be an academic institution. Instead, he pioneered a strategy many other think tanks now use, according to Heritage: he ran the organization like a business, hiring analysts to conduct policy studies and show results from their work. Heritage achieved those results by aggressively marketing its studies to Congress, policymakers, and the media, the organization said. His efforts transformed Heritage from a small policy shop to a well-known powerhouse, according to the organization.

What was Feulner’s background? He grew up in Chicago and graduated from Regis University with English and business majors. While in college, his thinking was influenced by former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater’s The Conscience of a Conservative and Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, according to Heritage. Feulner also earned other degrees, including a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 1981. His Washington career included fellowships at the Center for Strategic Studies and Stanford's Hoover Institution, as well as service on the staffs of several Republican House members, according to Heritage. Before becoming president of Heritage, he also served as the Republican Study Committee’s executive director. He received numerous awards including the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Ronald Reagan in 1989, according to Heritage.