Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith.

Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith.

Whereas Frederick W. Smith (hereinafter known as “Fred Smith”) was born on August 11, 1944, in Marks, Mississippi;

Whereas Fred Smith was raised and lived most of his life in Memphis, Tennessee;

Whereas Fred Smith attended elementary school at Presbyterian Day School and high school at Memphis University School, where he was voted “Best All-Round” by his class;

Whereas Fred Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University;

Whereas, upon graduation, Fred Smith was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps, during which time he served 2 tours of duty in the Vietnam war, was honorably discharged in 1969 with the rank of captain, and received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and 2 Purple Hearts;

Whereas, after 4 years of service in the Marines, Fred Smith launched Federal Express (“FedEx”), a company dedicated to the overnight shipping of small packages and documents, originally only offering service to 25 cities with a fleet of 14 jets;

Whereas, in the first few years of the company’s existence, Fred Smith worked tirelessly to keep FedEx open for business;

Whereas, because of Fred Smith’s hard work, FedEx quickly grew to become one of America’s most successful and iconic corporations, with operations that include over 700 aircraft, more than 200,000 vehicles, approximately 5,000 operating facilities, and hundreds of thousands of employees;

Whereas, due to Fred Smith’s vision, FedEx revolutionized the package delivery system and has become a global giant in transportation, logistics, and e-commerce;

Whereas FedEx’s air shipping operations are based at its primary hub at Memphis International Airport, making the city a center for global logistics;

Whereas, in addition to his immense successes with FedEx, Fred Smith also gave back to his community, launching numerous philanthropic initiatives that worked to make the world better for our children, the people of Memphis, and all Americans;

Whereas Fred Smith was preceded in death by his daughter Windland Smith Rice and is survived by his wife, Diane Smith, his 9 children, 31 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren; and

Whereas Fred Smith was an American trailblazer who revolutionized global logistics, set an example for entrepreneurs across the Nation, and worked his entire life to serve his community and the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) honors the life, achievements, and legacy of Fred Smith for—

(A) his accomplishments as a pioneer who revolutionized the transportation and express delivery industry;

(B) his inspiration to future generations of American community leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs; and

(C) his dedication to Memphis, a city that he loved dearly and committed to supporting and uplifting throughout his entire life; and

(2) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Fred Smith.