H.Res. 557

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 557 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 referred 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, 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.
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