Frederick Wallace Smith, founder of FedEx, passed away this weekend at 80 years old. Smith is a former minority owner of the Washington Commanders, then the Redskins, from 2003 until 2021, when he and two other minority partners sold their combined 40% back to then-majority owner Daniel Snyder.
Smith is best known for founding Federal Express in 1971 using his $4 million inheritance. He remained with FedEx as CEO until 2022 and remained an executive chairman after stepping down.
Smith unsuccessfully tried to land an NFL expansion team in Memphis, Tenn., during the early 1990s. However, the NFL awarded the league’s newest franchises to Charlotte, N.C. (Carolina Panthers) and Jacksonville, Fla. (Jaguars). Before he purchased a minority stake in the then-Redskins, Smith signed a 27-year deal with the team to rename it FedEx Field. The stadium, now known as Northwest Stadium, had operated as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium from its 1997 opening until 1999, when it became FedEx Field. FedEx exercised its option to end the agreement two years early in 2024 when Josh Harris bought the team from Snyder.
Smith’s split from Washington was nasty. He, Dwight Schar, and Robert Rothman hired a firm to explore selling their 40% stake in the team. This came at the same time as Snyder was facing public pressure again to change the team’s name. During this period, FedEx released a statement informing the team it wanted the name changed. Snyder finally relented to the public pressure, and in the summer of 2020, the Redskins became the Washington Football Team.
Later in 2020, Smith, Schar and Rothman sued Snyder in federal court, accusing Snyder of interfering with investors willing to pay around $900 million for their shares.
The Commanders released the following statement on Smith’s passing:
Smith’s son, Arthur, is the current offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Former Washington owner, FedEx founder Frederick Smith, dies at 80
