This is a developing story. It will be updated. 

FedEx founder and executive chairman Frederick W. Smith, who transformed global commerce and his adopted hometown of Memphis, has died. 

He was 80 years old. Smith was born on Aug. 11, 1944, in Marks, Mississippi. 

“Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was the heart and soul of FedEx – its PSP culture, values, integrity, and spirit. He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all. He was also a proud father, grandfather, husband, Marine, and friend; please keep the entire Smith family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.” FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam, said in a note to FedEx employees the company posted on its website Saturday night. 

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The inspiration for FedEx came to Smith when he was a student at Yale University. He wrote a paper about overnight, reliable delivery in the digital age. His professor was not impressed and he received a C on the paper.

Smith incorporated FedEx in 1971. The company began operations in 1973.

FedEx lost money in the early years and, once, as he struggled to raise further capital for the business, he made a pitstop in Las Vegas where his winnings at the blackjack table helped keep the company afloat until it could secure further funding.

In the time since, FedEx’s operations have spanned the globe and helped reshape trade across the world. The company’s reach and impact never showed itself more than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FedEx, through its Memphis hub, shipped the first vaccines, helping usher an end to a global catastrophe that left millions dead. 

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FedEx’s growth has transformed Memphis. Its planes are ubiquitous over the city’s skies. The sprawl of the distribution centers that rely on the company has reshaped the region’s built landscape.

It employs thousands of people in the city and around the world. Thousands of retirees rely on the company’s stock and dividends to pay for their way of life. 

Military service transformed Smith, shaped FedEx

Before founding FedEx, Smith served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. His service included two tours in Vietnam. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.

Smith’s military service left an indelible mark on him as a business leader and informed his stewardship of FedEx.

“I cannot overemphasize how important the Marine Corps was in my business career, more important than my formal education, I might add,” Smith said in a 2022 interview with the Marine Corps Association.

In 2024, he told the Military Times a story of how, as a company commander in Vietnam, he realized his leadership was appreciated when his troops dug his foxhole for him rather than making him dig it himself.

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“Then one night, I came back, and my troops had dug my fighting hole for me. They were as tired or more tired, but they took their energy to take care of me. And it was one of the best things that ever happened to me, because it told me they cared for me, they appreciated my leadership.”

‘Most important Memphian of all time’ 

Smith and FedEx have profoundly shaped the Memphis sports landscape in many ways, from paying for the rights to have FedEx’s name on FedExForum, to gifting the University of Memphis $50 million for renovations on Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, to pledging $25 million to the University of Memphis’ NIL fund, to sponsoring the FedEx St. Jude Championship golf tournament at TPC Southwind.

News of his death brought reaction from a slew of Memphians Saturday, June 21. They remembered a business leader, philanthropist and a man who sought to be a guiding light for Memphis. 

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, “Fred Smith was the most important Memphian of all time. He benefitted our city in every way possible, and he allowed generations of Memphians to achieve the American dream.

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“Every good thing that’s happened in Memphis in the last 40-50 years, he, his family or the FedEx family has contributed to it. It’s immeasurable, his impact on this city. I am so sad for our city and for his family. To be in his presence for any period of time was just remarkable.”

“Every good thing that’s happened in Memphis in the last 40-50 years, he, his family or the FedEx family has contributed to it. It’s immeasurable, his impact on this city.”

Jim Strickland
Former mayor of Memphis

Local philanthropist Gayle Rose remembered Smith calling her after her son Max was killed in a car accident in 2009. Smith’s daughter Wendy had died in 2005 of an undiagnosed heart condition.

“Of all the stuff people will say about Fred, when I lost Max, my son, he called me personally because he’d lost his daughter, Wendy. What he said to me was, ‘Gayle it’s awful. It’s just awful and I’m so sorry.’ He didn’t have any platitudes. He was just present.”

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“I’m surprised and shocked,” said Rep. Steve Cohen. “(There has been) nobody more important to Memphis in our history than Fred Smith. The jobs he’s brought, the contributions he’s made to our community, the investments in community resources and activities. He’s been Mr. Memphis. He was a great guy. I value the time I spent with him.”

”When I first tried to introduce myself to Fred Smith, he invited me into his office and talked to me for an hour,” said G. Scott Morris, founder of Church Health. “That was in 1990. He was always kind to me beyond measure. Is it possible to love Memphis more than he did? I don’t know what Memphis would be like without him. He has touched virtually everything in Memphis that is good.”

Sen. Brent Taylor said, “I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Fred Smith, a visionary leader and cherished member of our community. As the founder of FedEx, Fred revolutionized global logistics, creating countless jobs and opportunities right here in Memphis. His entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to innovation and commitment to Memphis will leave a lasting legacy. He truly did make Memphis matter to the world.”

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young said Smith had reshaped not just the city, but its psyche. 

“Fred’s innovative spirit challenged all of us to think bigger. To dream beyond the limits. To imagine what’s possible and then deliver it. In many ways, he gave our city wings,” Young said. “Fred Smith was a legend in every sense of the word, and his legacy will continue to move Memphis, and the world forward.” 

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The Daily Memphian reporters Samuel Hardiman and Jody Callahan contributed to this story.