Edward E. Fitzgerald, former president and CEO of the Doubleday Book Clubs, Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club, died on February 11 in New Rochelle, N.Y., of complications from a stroke. He was 81 years old. In 1946 Fitzgerald cofounded Sport magazine, an early rival of Sports Illustrated , and was its editor for nine years until 1960. That year, he went to Doubleday and spent eight years as president of the book division, book clubs and bookstores. From 1968 to 1971, Fitzgerald was president of the McCall's magazine group, and started the McCall's Book Publishing Company. He was named president of BOMC in 1973 and founded the Quality Paperback Book Club a year later; he was CEO at QPB from 1979 to 1984. His memoir of his publishing days, A Nickel an Inch , was published in 1984.