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Pepperdine University Mourns the Passing of School of Public Policy Founding Board Chair Edwin J. Feulner Jr.

Edwin J. Feulner Jr.

Pepperdine University is saddened to report the passing of Edwin J. Feulner Jr., a devoted member of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy community and champion of the American conservative movement.

Former President David Davenport presents Ed Feulner with an honorary doctorate at School of Public Policy graduation on April 14, 2000. Former President David Davenport presenting Ed Feulner with an honorary doctorate

Feulner served as the founding board chair of the School of Public Policy, appointed by founding dean Jim Wilburn. He led the board from the school’s launch in 1997 until 2007 and remained an active member for the rest of his life. Feulner also contributed to key initiatives, advising on program expansion into Washington, DC, and serving on the school naming committee as well as other task forces. Feulner received an honorary doctorate from the School of Public Policy in 2000.

"With his service as our founding board chair and unwavering commitment to the School of Public Policy spanning decades, Ed can certainly be considered one of our own 'Founding Fathers,’” shares Pete Peterson (MPP '07), dean of the School of Public Policy. “Ed was a friend and mentor who possessed the great gift of encouragement—no doubt grounded in his abiding Christian faith. The School of Public Policy will miss Ed greatly, but the institutions he helped to build—like ours—will carry on his passionate call to humble, winsome, and patriotic civic leadership."

Dean James R. Wilburn (left), Ginie Braun (middle),  and Feulner (right)Dean James R. Wilburn (left), Ginie Braun (middle),  and Feulner (right) 

In addition to his contributions to Pepperdine, Feulner was a pivotal leader in American public policy. He was a cofounder, trustee, and the longest-serving president of The Heritage Foundation, a prominent American conservative think tank based in Washington, DC, known for its influential role in shaping US public policy and conservative thought since its establishment in 1973. His work at the foundation earned him the Presidential Citizens Medal, bestowed upon him in 1989 by President Ronald Reagan.

Dean Wilburn and FeulnerDean Wilburn and Feulner

Feulner played a central role in shaping public policy for more than four decades, beginning his career in Washington as a public affairs fellow for the Center for Strategic Studies, now known as the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Before launching The Heritage Foundation, Feulner was executive director of the Republican Study Committee, the longtime home for conservative policy discussions in the House.

Originally from Chicago, Feulner graduated from Denver’s Regis University with double majors in English and business, then received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He attended Georgetown University and the London School of Economics before earning a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.

Feulner is survived by his wife, Linda, their children, Edwin III and Emily, and grandchildren.