Sheridan Garrison, founder of American Freightways and a former board member at FedEx Corp., died on May 18. He was 69.

Garrison was an active member of NASSTRAC and a respected player in the logistics industry. In 1982, he and a group of friends formed Arkansas Freightways. The carrier changed its name to American Freightways in 1993 to reflect the expansion of its service coverage to include much of the United States. In 2001, FedEx Corp. purchased American Freightways and later combined it with Viking Freight to form FedEx Freight. Today, FedEx Freight is the second largest lessthan- truckload carrier in the nation.

"Sheridan Garrison was an industry leader who turned American Freightways into one of the fastestgrowing independently owned transportation companies in the nation," says Fred Smith, chairman and CEO of FedEx.

Garrison was active in local and state chambers of commerce, the Arkansas Trucking Association, Arkansas Motor Carriers Association and NASSTRAC. He received numerous awards during his career, including being inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2002.