BOCA RATON, Fla., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA)
today announced that Senior Vice President James R. Hyde will retire June 1,
1999. Upon his retirement, Hyde also will step down as president of Grace
Davison, the company's largest business and a leading global supplier of
catalysts for refining and manufacturing processes and silica-based products
for coatings, plastics, pharmaceuticals, food and personal care applications.
    In making the announcement, CEO Paul Norris said, "Jim has made many
contributions to Grace over three decades, and we will miss him. I will work
closely with Jim during this transition to ensure that we keep up the momentum
on our growth and productivity initiatives. We will quickly identify and
review both internal and external candidates to fill this position."
    Hyde joined Grace in 1962 and has served in various managerial capacities
in the Davison specialty chemicals business. He began as quality control
supervisor in Davison's Cincinnati, Ohio plant and in 1976 became plant
manager of the company's facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In 1982, Hyde
was named vice president of manufacturing and, four years later, executive
vice president of Davison in charge of the petroleum chemicals unit. He was
elected a Grace vice president and named president of Davison in 1987. In
1995, he was elected a senior vice president of Grace.
    Hyde, 60, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1962 with a B.S.
degree in chemical engineering.
    A native of Marietta, Ohio, Hyde and his wife, the former Carol
Quittschreiber, reside in Baltimore and have three children. He is a member of
various professional, trade and service organizations and is a director of the
Kennedy Krieger Institute, a member of the Board of Med Star Health, and
serves on the Board of Governors for the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
    Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and silica products,
specialty construction chemicals and building materials, and container
sealants and closure systems.
    For more information, visit Grace's Web site at http://www.grace.com.

SOURCE  W.R. Grace & Co.






 
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