[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN MEMORY OF FREDERICK W. SMITH, JR.

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to appear here.
  In Memphis, one of our great leaders in the State of Tennessee, in 
the United States of America, and the world, in fact, was Frederick W. 
Smith, Jr.
  Fred Smith died suddenly this past weekend. He was 80 years old.
  Fred Smith started a business called FedEx, the largest air cargo 
system in the world. He started it with an idea that he came up with at 
Yale University and made it a paper. The paper didn't get a very good 
grade, but the people of the world judged it as A-plus, and everything 
about Fred Smith was A-plus.
  He was just a regular, decent human being and a good guy. He was 
always available. He never made you think he was a big titan of 
business or a leader of industry in the world. He was just somebody who 
was interested in what you had to talk to him about, and he would offer 
his advice.
  In Memphis, he did have his hand in just about everything. Our 
basketball arena, FedExForum, has made the city the home of an NBA 
team. That is because of Fred Smith. Our college football team plays in 
Liberty Stadium. He has pledged $50 million to improve that stadium and 
bring it up to higher standards. We have a golf tournament that is the 
FedEx St. Jude Golf Classic.
  He had his hand in every good thing in Memphis from education, zoos, 
and the civil rights museum. It is a big loss to Memphis. It is a big 
loss to Tennesseans. It is a big loss to Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. DesJarlais and Mr. Burchett for joining me 
up here. I ask everyone to stand for a moment of silence in the memory 
of Frederick W. Smith, Jr., a life well lived.

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