WALSH, EDWARD JOHN (28 June 1920-18 Feb. 1993) was executive director from 1953-1985 of the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) which represented the cast metal industry at 35 leading engineering colleges nationwide.
Born in Chicago to Edward and Loretta Walsh, he attended Catholic school and graduated from St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota. Walsh studied at Georgetown University until he was called to serve as a Navy officer during World War II. After the war he worked for the Pure Oil Co., then as executive secretary of the National Foundry Association in Chicago.
In 1953 Walsh came to Cleveland as executive director of FEF. Under his leadership FEF's educational program steadily grew, involving more than 15,000 graduate and undergraduate engineering students who benefitted from its scholarship and summer work programs. In 1982 FEF and Walsh moved to Chicago. In 1983 Walsh returned to operate FEF's Cleveland office.
Walsh received numerous honors including a special service citation by the Gray and Ductile Iron Founders' Society, 1965, and the American Foundrymen's Society's Board of Directors Award, 1968. The National Foundry Association bestowed an honorary membership upon Walsh in 1971. Walsh received the university of Missouri-Rolla's Centennial Medal in 1971 and received the first gold medal of the Iron Castings Society. In 1983 Walsh was named Foundryman of the Year by the Northeastern Ohio chapter of the American Foundrymen's Society. An E.J. Walsh annual service award was established by FEF in 1985.
Walsh married Kathryn Sprague on 29 May 1963. He had three children, Barbara, Patricia and James. Walsh lived in North Olmsted and is buried in Sunset Memorial Park.