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

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

Whereas Frederick W. 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 1973 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 (referred to in this preamble as “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 existence of FedEx, Fred Smith worked tirelessly to keep FedEx open for business;

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

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

Whereas the air shipping operations of FedEx are based at its primary hub at Memphis International Airport, making the city of Memphis, Tennessee, 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 children, the people of Memphis, and all people of the United States;

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

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

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) honors the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith for—

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

(B) his inspiration to future generations of community leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the United States; and

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

(2) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate—

(A) communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives; and

(B) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Fred Smith.