Heritage Foundation Founder Ed Feulner Dies at 83

"Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order," Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby said in a joint statement. "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."

"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,'" Roberts and Andel-Gaby wrote. "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," the statement continued. "And we still remember his adjuration to never be complacent or discouraged: 'In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.'"

Roberts and Andel-Gaby vowed to honor Feulner's life by "carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination."

"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 leaders said of Feulner.