In the case of Edward P. Trumble, Fort Collins’ loss proved to be Boulder’s gain.
Trumble was born Nov. 12, 1924.
In 1949, with $1,000 borrowed from his mother, Trumble founded Leanin’ Tree Publishing in Fort Collins. He later moved the business to Boulder in 1952 in his Chevy convertible. He managed to turn it into a leading greeting card publisher, Leanin’ Tree Inc., and Trumble Greetings Inc. that today employs 250 people and publishes 450 artists.
Since his move to Boulder, he has been a major contributor and supporter of the arts. The Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art had 15,000 visitors in 1993. Several members of Trumble’s family today are the company’s top executives. His son, Tom, is president and chief executive officer. Another son, Timothy, and two daughters, Jane Knutson and Nancy Fox, are vice presidents. Trumble’s wife, Lynn, is also active in museum functions and the arts.