Fred Smith upped world’s expectations, all from Memphis

By , Daily Memphian Updated: June 22, 2025 3:22 PM CT | Published: June 22, 2025 2:32 PM CT

Jack Sammons spent a portion of Saturday with the FedEx founder: “No matter how routine our regular conversations ... every time I talked to him, I felt like I was talking to Thomas Edison, an individual who changed the world.”

Topics

Frederick W. Smith Federal Express FedEx Memphis International Airport Donald Broughton Jack Sammons Mike Kenney
Jane Roberts

Jane Roberts

Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.


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