# Frederick W. Smith

> Frederick Wallace Smith (1944-2025) founded Federal Express in 1971 and built its coordinated overnight air and ground delivery service around a Memphis hub. A Yale graduate, pilot and Marine Corps veteran, he led FedEx as its founding chief executive, became executive chairman in 2022, and supported education, veterans’ causes and carbon capture research.

- **Role:** Deceased; founder and former Executive Chairman of FedEx Corporation
- **Organizations:** FedEx Corporation, Federal Express Corporation, United States Marine Corps, Yale University, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
- **From:** Marks, Mississippi, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in economics, Yale University
- **Known for:** Founded and led the company behind the integrated Federal Express overnight delivery network., Received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for military service., Received the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy and George C. Marshall Foundation Award.

## Career timeline

- **1966** — Graduated from Yale and began Marine Corps service; subsequently served two tours in Vietnam.
- **1971** — Founded Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- **1973** — Launched overnight operations from Memphis on April 17.
- **1979** — FedEx developed computerized shipment tracking through COSMOS.
- **1986** — FedEx introduced the handheld SuperTracker barcode scanner.
- **1994** — FedEx launched online package tracking.
- **2021** — FedEx committed $100 million to establish Yale’s Center for Natural Carbon Capture.
- **2022** — Became executive chairman on June 1 as Raj Subramaniam became president and CEO.
- **2025** — Died on June 21, aged 80.

## Achievements

- Founded and led the company behind the integrated Federal Express overnight delivery network.
- Received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for military service.
- Received the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy and George C. Marshall Foundation Award.
- Helped establish Yale’s Center for Natural Carbon Capture through FedEx support.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Memphis celebrated the airport’s renaming in Smith’s honor on August 11, alongside the inaugural FedEx FWS Day of Service.
- **2025-06** — FedEx announced Smith’s death on June 21.
- **2025-02** — Goldman Sachs published a conversation with Smith filmed on October 17, 2024.

## Links

- Website: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/about/leadership/frederick-w-smith.html

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/frederick-w-smith
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23