FedEx Founder Frederick W. Smith Passes Away at 80
Having worked in the logistics industry from the time I graduated high school in the early eighties, I became familiar with a lot of the big players in the industry. I knew FedEx back when it was still called Federal Express.
The company was founded by Frederick Wallace Smith who sadly passed away on June 21, 2025 at the age of 80.
Mr. Smith was born on August 11, 1944 in Marks, MS.
His father was the founder of the Toddlehouse restaurant chain and the Smith Motor Coach Company (renamed The Dixie Greyhound Lunes, after the Greyhound Corporation bought a controlling interest in 1931).
He attended elementary school and high school in Memphis, TN and became an amateur pilot as a teen.
In 1962, he entered Yale University where he majored in Economics.
After graduation, Smith was comissioned in the US Marine Corps. He served as a platoon leader and forward air controller in South Vietnam, flying in the back seat of the OV-10 aircraft.
After two tours of duty, he was discharged with the rank of Captain. He received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
Later in life, he said that his time in the military prepared him for the challenges of being a CEO. “Being an officer in combat situations you are faced with decisions where lives are at stake. Once you have been in a situation like that, any other challenge pales in contrast.”
On June 18, 1971, Smith founded Federal Express.
Quite often, I would go to the local
service center at the old Laredo International Airport, next to the Aero Center of Laredo hangar. It was a small office of approximately 20' X 50'. There was a counter where you would fill out forms and leave or pick up those distinctive blue and white letter packs with documents inside. Two employees manned the office during peak hours.
Outside, in the tarmac, a regional Cessna Caravan twin engine propeller aircraft, with red blue and white livery and red bold letters that read FEDERAL EXPRESS, waited to get loaded.
Over the years the company grew and more planes were added to the fleet.
The brand presence increased in the streets of virtually every city in the USA, with trucks rolling through large cities, as well as on rural roads of America's heartland. Federal Express letter packs were effective ambassadors through the exchange of hands between Federal delivery drivers and small business owners, as well as CEO's of Fortune 500 companies.
In Laredo, to accommodate growth, a larger office with adjacent warehouse space was leased on McPherson Road. The company name was officially changed to FedEx in 2000.
In 2005, Laredo’s terminal moved, yet again; this time it was to a larger state of the art warehouse and service center located at 6552 Bob Bullock Loop.
Today, FedEx has over 650 aircraft. This makes it the worlds largest cargo airline, in terms of fleet size and volume of freight. It delivers packages and freight to 375 destinations, over 220 countries and territories across six continents each day.
FedEx has made a series of company acquisitions to expand its global reach and e-commerce capabilities. Today it has over half a million employees worldwide.
Mr. Smith has been hailed as a pioneer in cargo aviation; having introduced the concept of a centralized hub with multiple locations serving as feeder terminals.
During an interview, he was asked if he ever felt that Federal Express would fail. He laughed and said:
"That's an understatement"
There was a time when the company's cash had diminished to $5,000.00 USD and they had no money to pay for aircraft fuel. Mr. Smith took that money and gambled it in Las Vegas. Fortunately, he won and they were able to keep the airplanes flying.
When asked what his formula for success was, he said:
"You should always innovate. Start something that you know everybody needs and be the first one to meet that demand. If you get into something that everyone is already doing, you're going to have a harder time"
He emphasized the importance of being able to work with people.
"I have yet to meet someone who has done it alone" he said.
Being a lifetime learner, he often stressed the power of acquiring knowledge:
"Always strive to gain knowledge in different areas because you never know when it's going to come in handy. Learn all you can, whether it’s history or philosophy or even gardening. You may think that learning about gardening is not useful because you are in a different area of work, but you may find yourself in a meeting with your biggest client and he just may be passionate about gardening"
He compared the structure of his company to the Roman Empire, highlighting the importance of infrastructure and logistics in both. Just as the Roman Empire built an extensive network of roads and infrastructure to connect its territories and facilitate trade, FedEx established a vast distribution system with terminals, employees, technology, local and line haul trucks, airplanes and centralized hubs.
Under Smith's leadership, FedEx revolutionized industry by connecting people and facilitating economic activity on a large scale.
He was described as a leader who cared about his employees and fostered a culture of respect in his company. He implemented practices like training managers to ensure respect for all employees and encourage open communication.
Smith was known for being accesible to employees and emphasized the importance of sharing in the company's success with employees and promoting from within.
Frederick W. Smith passed away from natural causes, in Memphis, TN, on June 21, 2025 at the age of 80
In the words of FedEx President and CEO, Raj Subramaniam "Frederick W. Smith pioneered express delivery and connected the world, shaping global commerce as we know it. His legacy of innovation, leadership and philanthropy, will continue to inspire future generations. I will miss not only his visionary leadership, but his trusted friendship and council"
He was a devoted father and grandfather, known for his generosity, humility and unwavering dedication to his family. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Windlam Smith Rice. He is survived by his wife, Diane Smith, and children: Stacey Rokas (Bill), Laurie Hooper (Steven), Richard Smith (Allison), Kathleen Forbush (Matt), Molly Heussenstamm (Bron), Arthur Smith (Allison), Rachel O'Neil (David), Sam Atkinson (Bubba), and Cannon Smith (Collins), as well as 31 grandchildren and two great grand children.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Frederick W. Smith