119-hres557

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

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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