IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 557 
Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 27, 2025 
Mr. KUSTOFF (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. OGLES, 
Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. ROSE, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. BURCHETT, and 
Mrs. HARSHBARGER) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
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, Mis-
sissippi; 
Whereas Fred Smith was raised and lived most of his life in 
Memphis, Tennessee; 
Whereas Fred Smith attended elementary school at Pres-
byterian Day School and high school at Memphis Univer-
sity School, where he was voted ‘‘Best All-Round’’ by his 
class; 
Whereas Fred Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in econom-
ics from Yale University; 
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•HRES 557 IH 
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 dedi-
cated 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 pri-
mary 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; 
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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 revolu-
tionized 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. 
Æ 
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