Edward E. Saleeby was born in Hartsville on September 8, 1927, one of five sons born to Eli A. and Creola Stokes Saleeby. Having graduated from Hartsville High School in 1944, he worked his way through academic and law school at the University of South Carolina, and graduated with an LL.B. degree in 1949. At the University, he was president of the junior class, president of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, and first vice president of the USC student body. He was tapped for membership for O.D.K.
Ed Saleeby was admitted to the Bar in 1949 and returned to Hartsville where he practiced law from 1949 to 2002. In 1950, at the age of 23, he was elected to the House of Representatives and served through 1958. Representative Saleeby served as Darlington County Attorney in 1952. In April of 1961, having been elected by the General Assembly, he became a member of the USC Board of Trustees. He held this position until 1972. During this time frame, USC Trustee Saleeby served a one-year term as Potentate of Omar Temple during 1968–69. He also served on the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Bar Association from 1970 to 1973, and as President of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association for the year 1970–71.
In 1972, Ed was elected to the State Senate representing the Senate District composed of Darlington County. He served as State Senator for almost thirty years, and served his community as chair of the Hartsville United Fund, as a trustee of Byerly Hospital, and as a Board member of the Hartsville YMCA. He served as a Vestryman of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church of Hartsville.
As a representative of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Saleeby re-joined the USC Board of Trustees in 1988, serving until 1991. In 1976, he also served as a trustee of Coker College and as a member of the Clemson Board of Visitors. He had affiliations with several banking institutions: as a Board member of the former First Carolina National Bank and as an Advisory Board member of the former South Carolina National Bank and the former First National Bank of South Carolina.
In the Senate, Senator Saleeby became Chairman of the Automobile Insurance Study Committee from 1976 to 1989; Chair of the Insurance Law Study Committee from 1977 to 1989; Chair of the Joint Insurance Study Committee from 1989–1995; member of the State Reorganization Committee from 1981 to 1988; Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee from 1984 to 1992, and Chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee from 1992 to 2000. He served as a Senate Senator until July 6, 2002.
Edward E. Saleeby is survived by his wife of fifty-one years, Willie Meta Calcutt, and three children: Edward E. Saleeby, Jr., Esquire; Kay Saleeby Bouknight; and Holly Saleeby Atkins, Esquire.