Remembering Frederick W. Smith, Visionary Founder of FedEx

An innovative leader whose legacy will be felt for generations to come.  Frederick Wallace Smith, the founder, executive chairman, and long-time chairman and CEO of FedEx Corporation, passed away from natural causes on June 21, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 80 years old. His death marks the end of an era for the global transportation and logistics industry; an industry which he founded and revolutionized through his innovative vision and relentless pursuit of excellence. Born on August 11, 1944, in Marks, Mississippi and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Smith was a born entrepreneur. In 1962, he entered Yale College to pursue a degree in economics. While at Yale, the young Smith worked as a charter pilot. It was at Yale where he conceived the idea for an integrated air-to-ground system that would ensure overnight delivery, a concept that would eventually become Federal Express. After graduating from Yale in 1966, he served four years in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which included two tours of duty in Vietnam where he served as a rifle platoon leader, a company commander, and aerial observer/tactical air controller in the OV-10A. He was decorated with the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and two Purple...

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