Edward, known to friends and family as "Glenn"' was born in Michigan in 1897. His father, John Barcome, was a banker and his mother was an immigrant from Canada.

Glenn came out to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California, but in 1917, at the age of 20, he left USC to fight with the US Army in World War One. Following the war, he resumed his studies at USC. As soon as he graduated with a BA, he joined Security Bank, where he worked for the next 20 years.

In 1927, Glenn married Alice Anderson from St Louis. They settled in Hancock Park. During the next few years, he served as Treasurer of the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce – and then as Treasurer, Vice-President and Director of the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1932, Glenn was invited to become a founding member of the Economic Round Table by Durward Howes. He and Durward, along with another founder, Edward Shattuck, were members of President Herbert Hoover's "Flying Squad" for the 1932 election campaign. Four years later, Glenn was a California delegate to the Republican National Committee of 1936.

When World War Two began, Glenn was appointed California's State Budget Officer for the Office of Price Administration (OPA). This very important position meant that he controlled all the rationing of food and gasoline in California for the duration of the war.

In 1952, he became a Vice President of Atlas Insurance Company in Beverly Hills. His banking background enabled him to arrange just the right financing for the construction of the company's brand-new building on South Beverly Drive.

Glenn died in Los Angeles in 1964 at the age of 67.