Edwin Feulner in an interview with Yonhap News in Washington, D.C., in February 2017. Yonhap News.

Edwin Feulner, the founder of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank in the United States, has passed away at the age of 83, the foundation announced on the 18th (local time).

Feulner co-founded the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., in 1973 and served as its longest-running chairman for 37 years starting in 1977, dedicating his efforts to translating conservative values into policy.

Under his leadership, the Heritage Foundation grew from a small policy research institute into a pivotal organization that shaped the blueprint for American conservative policy. The New York Times once referred to Feulner as the "Parthenon of the conservative movement."

The foundation notably led the golden age of American conservatism during the Ronald Reagan administration in the 1980s by championing core conservative values, including free-market economics, limited government, individual liberty, and a strong national defense. Reagan awarded Feulner the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989.

During the 2016 presidential election, he served as a policy advisor to then-candidate Donald Trump and subsequently joined his presidential transition team. In 2023, the foundation released "Project 2025," which outlined policy tasks for a potential future conservative administration in preparation for a possible Trump return to office.

Widely considered one of the most influential conservative figures in the U.S., Feulner was also a prominent expert on Asia and a well-known friend of Korea.

Having visited Korea over 200 times, Feulner maintained deep personal ties with leaders in the nation's political and business circles.

He maintained a 40-year friendship with Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn dating back to the early 1980s and also had personal relationships with figures such as Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Foundation, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong hugging Edwin Feulner. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong greets Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner at the Asian Leadership Conference held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on July 13, 2022. Yonhap News.

Born in Chicago in 1941 to parents who ran a real estate firm, Feulner graduated from Regis University, earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and received a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

He began his career in the Washington D.C. think tank scene as a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). After serving as an aide to former Republican Congressman Melvin Laird, he joined the Heritage Foundation as a founding member in 1973.

Guided by his motto that "people are policy," Feulner was passionate about nurturing talent within the conservative movement. He often said, "In Washington, there is no permanent victory and no permanent defeat," leaving a message for conservatives to never become complacent or discouraged.

In a statement released that day, the foundation said, "He was more than just a leader; he was a visionary, a builder, and a true patriot," adding, "His determination to defend the principles that made America the freest and most prosperous nation in human history formed the bedrock of the entire conservative movement, and that legacy continues today."

Hanmi Ilbo / Yonhap News