No Memphis Airport Name Change

Dear Mr. Lacker,

Councilman Jim Strickland forwarded your email to me regarding your request to name the Memphis International Airport for Elvis Presley.

This issue has surfaced from time to time by the many fans of Elvis Presley. The airport is owned and operated by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and has reviewed the potential to name the airport for an individual. There are many people, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King Jr., Danny Thomas, Fred Smith, E.W. 'Ned' Cook and others, that have had major impacts on Memphis who are worthy to be considered if it is ever determined that the airport should be named for a person. The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners have determined that the airport's name should remain Memphis International Airport. Elvis Presley and the other distinguished individuals are recognized in other ways by the airport and the community.

We certainly appreciate the importance of music on Memphis and have a display in each of our three terminals that showcase three of our notable music icons, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hays, and BB King. The Airport Authority and the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau are in the process of updating the displays to include videos and music of the existing honorees and will be adding other Memphis Music icons that are not currently included. Elvis is also featured in our rotunda in the B concourse concession areas.

We appreciate your interest and suggestions.

Best wishes,

Larry

It clearly seems to be a bias against Elvis Presley by the current administration, or at the very least Councilman Jim Strickland as his response is quite illogical. As is evident in Marty Lackers reply. [Well said marty].

Please Click Here to rename Memphis Airport to 'Elvis Presley International Airport'.

Below Marty Lacker has responded to Larry Cox.

Larry,

I understand what you're saying because I've heard it before.

In no way am I demeaning the others you named but nobody in this city has had the impact on Memphis as Elvis. He put Memphis on the map to 98% of the people worldwide.

I don't know if you were here in the 50's when he emerged from obscurity but he above all made Memphis known and that is closely followed by the Music that was recorded here. Fred Smith without a doubt contributed to Memphis with FedEx but I'd venture to say that 97% of the general public doesn't know who he is nor that Memphis is the HQ of FedEx. 99% don't know who Ned Cook is and as for Martin Luther King Jr., his only connection to Elvis is that unfortunately he lost his life here. As I said in my email to Jim Strickland, if you name the airport for Elvis everyone in the world will know where it is because on a worldwide basis everyone knows who Elvis is. He's a gift to Memphis that keeps on giving. I would venture to say that a high percentage of the 600,000 to 700,000 folks who visit Graceland annually gets here via the airport. I wish you all would reconsider your position on this matter and I do appreciate that you replied to my email.

Respectfully,
Marty Lacker

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