Movers and shakers of the Memphis business community descended on the FedEx Institute of Technology Wednesday to honor the life of a Memphis entrepreneur.
The first John Burton Tigrett Innovators and Entrepreneurs Series was held at The University of Memphis' newest hall of innovation.Over 200 influential business and community leaders filled The Zone to commemorate John Tigrett's life and listen to keynote speakers Fred Smith and Sir Harold Evans.
"Innovation and freedom are the keys to America's past and future," Evans said.
Evans spoke of Tigrett's successes as an entrepreneur and legendary dealmaker in the global oil business.
During a short film about Tigrett's life, the narrator read one of his lifelong lessons.
"I've never depended on anyone for a salary, and that independence has proved invaluable over the years," Tigrett once said.
Speaking about his new book, titled They Made America, Sir Evans said it is a celebration of the history of American innovation.
"There is a difference between invention and innovation," he said. "Invention is just a pastime unless you bring it a mass of people."
Attendees at Wednesday's event included Kevin Kane, president of the Memphis Convention Visitor's Bureau, police director Larry Godwin, Mike Rose, Knox Phillips, Shirley Raines and Jon Hornyak.Isaac Tigrett, founder of Hard Rock Café and House of Blues, and Kerr
Tigrett presented Smith and Evans with the inaugural innovators and entrepreneurs awards associated with the series.
Fred Smith said that John Tigrett's entrepreneurial spirit was alive and visible in his wife and sons.
"John thoroughly enjoyed meeting with any young person, any inventor or anyone with a crackpot idea," Smith said.
Smith also expressed concern about the state of innovation in The United States today.
"Our country is not conducive, to the extent that it once was, to innovation and entrepreneurship," Smith said.
Pat Kerr Tigrett, John's wife, said that he would have been delighted with the series and the building in which it was held.The fundraiser, which Pat Tigrett hopes to hold each year, will establish a fellowship at the FedEx Institute of Technology.
"She wants to establish a fellowship to attract researchers and students for the FedEx Institute of Technology," said Eric Mathews, associate director of business development for F.I.T. "We gave Sir Harold Evans a tour of the building and our artificial intelligence project, and he said he wished he were 20 years old again."
Sir Harold Evans said people often asked him what was going to come next in the world of innovation.
"Probably something out of this building," he said.
