Ed Tracy

During his over twenty-five years in public relations and fundraising, Ed Tracy has helped to design and implement strategic fundraising plans that have built a new library, a science complex and a hockey arena on the campus of Norwich University, the nation's oldest private military college in Vermont. A Northfield, Vermont native, Ed graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in theatre and communication. In 1979, he joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in the general licensing division. In 1981, he moved to the national headquarters in New York City in the radio licensing division, rising to National Station Relations Manager in 1987. In 1989, Ed returned to his hometown and to work at Norwich University on the first of three major capital campaigns. In 1996, with authors W.E.B. Griffin, Carlo D'Este and the late Ambassador William Colby, he founded a military writers' symposium at Norwich University. Today, the William E. Colby Military Writers' Symposium has the distinction of bringing together over 90 top military authors, historians and biographers to annual programs at Norwich and at the National Press Club in Washington. Following a successful fund-raising career at Norwich, Ed assumed duties as the Executive Director of External Affairs, overseeing major University events, public relations, sports information and sports broadcasting. Since May 2002, Ed has served as Executive Director of the Tawani Foundation and headed up the design, construction and management of the new Pritzker Military Library, serving concurrently as Executive Director of the Library from its opening in October 2003 to September 2006. During this period, the Library established a national reputation as a state-of-the-art facility supporting the study of military history and focusing on the concept of the Citizen Soldier as an essential element in the preservation of democracy and the Nation. Through the 2007 Fall Season, the Library has produced over 170 live webcast programs featuring top military writers, historians and biographers along with panel discussions and one-on-one interviews with Medal of Honor recipients. In a unique arrangement with Norwich, the Colby Symposium national headquarters are located in Chicago in association with the Tawani Foundation and the Pritzker Military Library. Ed continues to serve as Executive Producer of Programs for the Library, Vice President of Philanthropy for Tawani Enterprises, Inc. and host of the Library's Medal of Honor series. Ed Tracy is an associate member of the National Press Club, member of the Union League Club of Chicago, the Illinois Association of Broadcasters, a Presidential Counselor of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, an honorary lifetime member of the Vermont Association of Sportswriters and Sportscasters and a past member of the Vermont Association of Broadcasters. He has completed his first theatrical venture, a musical on the life of silent film star Buster Keaton, which had a professional reading in June 2003 at the Union League Club in Chicago.