Frederick W. Smith International Airport

[memphismike]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Fred Smith should be given his due credit by having our airport renamed as Frederick W. Smith-Memphis International Airport? If it wasn't for FedEx, where would Memphis be? As a young professional, I dare say I wouldn't be living here! Not to mention all the charitable donations FedEx has made to make Memphis a better place to live and work.

Forget King International Airport or Elvis Presley International Airport or Martin Luther King International Airport. If anyone should receive such an honor, it should be Fred Smith.

Thoughts?

[memphica]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Fred Smith should be given his due credit by having our airport renamed as Frederick W. Smith-Memphis International Airport? If it wasn't for FedEx, where would Memphis be? As a young professional, I dare say I wouldn't be living here! Not to mention all the charitable donations FedEx has made to make Memphis a better place to live and work.

Forget King International Airport or Elvis Presley International Airport or Martin Luther King International Airport. If anyone should receive such an honor, it should be Fred Smith.

Thoughts?

[highriser]

Agreed. Fredrick W. Smith int'l airport....that would be a good thing....

[Memphis77]

I disagree. Elvis Presley International would be WORLD FAMOUS in the likes of Kennedy and O Hare. Imagine all of the Elvis fans that travel to Memphis just to see their idol and arrive at HIS airport. That would be so fitting and considering that Graceland is just 2 miles away. Also I think Elvis has done more for Memphis than anyone has ever done. He put the city on the map.

And don't forget that it's EPE (Elvis Presley Enterprisies) that's the main force leading the way for the aerotropolis to even happen with the redevelopment of the Graceland-airport area in Whitehaven.

[teeg]

How about honoring both great Memphians? Change the name to Fred Smith International, change the airport code from MEM to TCB?

[paribasomw]

There is absolutely no reason or benefit in renaming the airport. Memphis International Airport works just fine and anything else is just a gimmick. Most people in this country have absolutely no idea who Fred Smith is. And to name the airport for Elvis Presley just smells of commercialism and utter tackiness -- just like Graceland. Let's just keep it real -- Memphis International Airport.

I disagree. Elvis Presley International would be WORLD FAMOUS in the likes of Kennedy and O Hare. Imagine all of the Elvis fans that travel to Memphis just to see their idol and arrive at HIS airport. That would be so fitting and considering that Graceland is just 2 miles away. Also I think Elvis has done more for Memphis than anyone has ever done. He put the city on the map.

And don't forget that it's EPE (Elvis Presley Enterprisies) that's the main force leading the way for the aerotropolis to even happen with the redevelopment of the Graceland-airport area in Whitehaven.

[Lexy]

There is absolutely no reason or benefit in renaming the airport. Memphis International Airport works just fine and anything else is just a gimmick. Most people in this country have absolutely no idea who Fred Smith is. And to name the airport for Elvis Presley just smells of commercialism and utter tackiness -- just like Graceland. Let's just keep it real -- Memphis International Airport.

[Memphis77]

There is absolutely no reason or benefit in renaming the airport. Memphis International Airport works just fine and anything else is just a gimmick. Most people in this country have absolutely no idea who Fred Smith is. And to name the airport for Elvis Presley just smells of commercialism and utter tackiness -- just like Graceland. Let's just keep it real -- Memphis International Airport.

[Rural King]

Memphis International Airport seems appropriate as is and avoids having to have a whole debate on what to rename it among the city's civic and government leaders, interest groups, etc.

[memphismike]

I completely disagree, but you're all entitled to your own opinion. Keep in mind what Fred Smith has done and continues to do for Memphis. It's a common practice to rename airports for great civic visionaries and leaders--no city has one that has contributed more to their hometown than Fred Smith. Step back and think about what WOULD NOT be here if not for FedEx...

My vote is still for Frederick W. Smith-Memphis International Airport.