The Edward J Barlow Jr Life In Remembrance archive is currently under development. Content in the form of text, videos, photography, and audio will be added as it is researched, edited, and then finalized for publication.

Look

Read about
Edward's life,
legacy, and
historic firsts.

Listen

Hear from
the people
whose lives he
influenced.

Learn

Barlow history
is Black history
and Hartford history.

The End Is The Beginning

Excavating The Past For The Future

After Edward J Barlow, Jr. passed away in November 2026, an online search about him revealed nothing but his obituary. Given the extraordinary life he lead, the number of accomplishments and historic firsts he had, and the legacy he left behind, his daughter felt that his life needed to be researched, examined, and properly documented …

This upcoming Life in Remembrance of Edward J. Barlow Jr. website will be a living archive celebrating the life, legacy, and quiet impact of a man who spent his life building institutions, opening doors, and helping others succeed.

Born in 1937, Edward Barlow Jr was a pioneering figure whose achievements in computing, finance, politics, and community service broke barriers before, during, and long after the Civil Rights era. His story is part of a remarkable family legacy that spans generations of barrier-breakers who emerged from Americus, Georgia, migrated to Hartford during the Great Migration, and transformed their community despite racism, trauma, and oppression.

At a time when Black history and the achievements of Black men and women are being actively erased — removed from archives, museums, schools, and public institutions — we can no longer afford to be humble, silent, and remiss with our histories.

No child should have to learn of their parent’s significant history and legacy through unlabeled photos, memorabilia packed away in storage, and the stories and memories of strangers.

No one else will tell our stories. No one else will preserve our history. It falls to us.

Today. Now.

– Elaine Barlow

Project status

February - June 2026

Alpha
  1. Muted coming soon clip/montage video completed for new website.
  2. Framework, programming, and web delivery chosen for web archive images, text, and video content.
  3. First 4 interviews conducted, 2 more pending.
Alpha (Stage 2)
  1. Essays being structured and video and newspaper article transcription in process.
  2. Additional interviews and video editing of completed interviews.
  3. Some website content goes live including the original obituary, the "About Edward Barlow" essay, and some video interviews.
  4. CT Savings and Loan tribute website launches.
Alpha (Stage 3)
  1. Interactive timeline creation.
  2. Continued video editing of oral history from Edward himself.
  3. Reach out to more of Edward's friends and colleagues for additional interviews and history.
Special Thanks

Above and Beyond

There is absolutely no way that this project could be done without tons and tons of help from some amazing people.

Everything in my father’s past would remain a mystery without so many people willing to enlighten, educate, and support me and this work.

Thank you: Sandy Cloud, Lew Brown, Dr James Thompson, Matt Ritter (Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives), Dollie McLean, Amy Kilkenny (Director of the Auerbach Art Library & Curator of Archives & Special Collections, Wadsworth Atheneum), Fiona Elias (Board Governance Coordinator, Wadsworth Atheneum), Chloe Collins (Assistant Librarian/Archivist, Wadsworth Atheneum), Matthew Hargraves (Director, Wadsworth Atheneum), Maureen Heher (Historical Research Information Librarian, Hartford Public Library), Andy Geary (Records & Information Management, Travelers Insurance Hartford)