Frederick W. Smith

Inducted 2000

Fred Smith founded Federal Express in 1971 and the company began operations on April 17, 1973. FedEx was established on January 27, 1998, when Federal Express acquired Caliber System Inc. He is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx Corporation business units, serving 210 countries with operations that include 648 aircraft, 64 000 vehicles and over 2600 facilities. Under his leadership, Federal Express has continued to strengthen its industry leadership over the past 27 years, with its total commitment to quality service.

Smith serves on the boards of several large public companies; he is a director of several business-related associations and institutes. A native of Marks, Mississippi, he attended Yale University where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in economics. Smith served as an officer in the US Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1966-1970.