Frederick Smith, who founded global delivery behemoth FedEx Corp. with little more than a dozen planes in the 1970s, has died at the age of 80, the company’s CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a memo to staff posted on its website on Saturday.

Smith had only stepped down as CEO in 2022, when he was 77.

After his departure, he stayed on as executive chairman, where he focused on board governance and key global issues including sustainability, innovation and public policy, according to his profile on FedEx’s website.

“Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all,” Subramaniam, who succeeded Smith, said in the memo to staff.

Before founding the revolutionary delivery powerhouse, Smith served as an officer in the US Marine Corps in Vietnam. He voluntarily enlisted following his graduation from Yale University and went on two tours. 

Smith was first commissioned as a second lieutenant and left a decorated captain with coveted honors including the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. 

Even during the war, Smith’s mind was always on the horizon, thinking about his would-be million dollar idea: overnight commercial delivery. He studied everything, including military procurement and deliveries, according to his biography by the Academy of Achievement.

Smith later confessed that many of the tools he used to run FedEx came from his time in the Marines, not the celebrated Ivy League school.

Smith started his express transport business just two years after wrapping up his service in 1971. This eventually transformed into Federal Express in 1973, with just 389 team members and a fleet of 14 small planes that flew packages from Memphis to 25 other US cities. 

This freshman lineup was a mere fraction of what FedEx would eventually become. Today, it boasts more than 500,000 employees, 705 aircraft, more than 200,000 vehicles and around 5,000 operating facilities, according to its website.

FedEx wasn’t always the dynamo it is today. It originally lost a staggering $27 million during its first two years in operation and had been on the verge of bankruptcy. 

FedEx was sundowning until Smith managed to renegotiate his bank loans and put the company back on track, according to the Academy of Achievement.

From there, he pushed the company to where it is today, supporting his employees as he lauded them with praise and support during times of trial, namely UPS strikes that put extra pressure on FedEx.

Outside of work, Smith was a dedicated football fanatic and even had a brief stint as a minority owner of the Washington Commanders NFL team before he was bought out. 

This passion extended to his son Arthur, who served as head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons and is now the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Smith was dedicated to serving the community of his native Memphis, never forgetting his roots. He also left a hefty gift to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to endow a scholarship for children of Navy veterans looking to study STEM. 

“America is the most generous country in the world. It’s amazing the charitable contributions that Americans make every year. Everything from the smallest things to these massive health care initiatives and the Gates Foundation and everything in between,” Smith said in 2023.

“I think if you’ve done well in this country, it’s pretty churlish for you not to at least be willing to give a pretty good portion of that back to the public interest. And all this is in the great tradition of American philanthropy.”

With Post wires