Goodyear Directors Re-elected, Board Size Reduced

AKRON, Ohio, May 7, 2003 -- Shareholders of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today elected James C. Boland, Steven A. Minter and James M. Zimmerman to three-year terms on the company's Board of Directors. Agnar Pytte was elected to serve the remaining year of a three- year term on the board.

Boland is former vice chairman of Ernst & Young and vice chairman of Cavs/Gund Arena Company. Minter is president and executive director of the Cleveland Foundation. Zimmerman is chairman of the board of Federated Department Stores. Pytte is the retired president and chief executive officer of Case Western Reserve University.

  The company's seven continuing directors are:

  * John G. Breen, Edward T. Fogarty and Robert J. Keegan, whose terms
    expire at the 2004 annual meeting.
  * Susan E. Arnold, Gary D. Forsee and William J. Hudson, whose terms
    expire at the 2005 annual meeting.
  * Chairman Samir G. Gibara, who will serve on the board until June 30,
    2003.

Directors Martin D. Walker and Kathryn D. Wriston retired from the board today.

Shareholders also approved a company proposal to reduce the number of board members to at least nine and no more than 15, from at least 11 and no more than 19. A proposal to recommend that the board redeem the company's Shareholder Rights Plan was not approved.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's appointment as the company's independent accountants for 2003 was ratified by the shareholders.

The board re-elected all Goodyear officers for the coming year.

Goodyear is the world's largest tire company. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 85 facilities in 28 countries. It has marketing operations in almost every country around the world. Goodyear employs about 92,000 people worldwide.