119-sres308

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 308 Agreed to Senate

    (ATS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 308

 Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 June 26 (legislative day, June 24), 2025

 Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Barrasso, 
Mr. Daines, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Sullivan) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Honoring the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick W. Smith.

Whereas Frederick W. 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 1973 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 (referred to in this preamble as ``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 existence of FedEx, Fred Smith worked 
 tirelessly to keep FedEx open for business;
Whereas, because of the hard work of Fred Smith, FedEx quickly grew to become 
 one of the most successful and iconic corporations in the United States, 
 with operations that include more than 700 aircraft, more than 200,000 
 vehicles, approximately 5,000 operating facilities, and hundreds of 
 thousands of employees;
Whereas, due to the vision of Fred Smith, FedEx revolutionized the package 
 delivery system and has become a global giant in transportation, 
 logistics, and e-commerce;
Whereas the air shipping operations of FedEx are based at its primary hub at 
 Memphis International Airport, making the city of Memphis, Tennessee, 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 children, the people of Memphis, and 
 all people of the United States;
Whereas Fred Smith was preceded in death by his daughter, Windland Smith Rice, 
 and is survived by his wife, Diane Smith, and his 9 children, 31 
 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren; and
Whereas Fred Smith was a trailblazer who revolutionized global logistics, set an 
 example for entrepreneurs across the United States, and worked his 
 entire life to serve his community and the United States: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) honors the life, achievements, and legacy of Frederick 
 W. Smith for--
        (A) his accomplishments as a pioneer who 
 revolutionized the transportation and express delivery 
 industry;
        (B) his inspiration to future generations of 
 community leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the 
 United States; and
            (C) his dedication to Memphis, Tennessee, a city 
 that he loved dearly and committed to supporting and 
 uplifting throughout his entire life; and

    (2) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate--
        (A) communicate this resolution to the House of 
 Representatives; and
        (B) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to 
 the family of Fred Smith.
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