ITW Directors Declare Quarterly Dividend

GLENVIEW, Ill., May 7, 2004 -- The board of directors of Illinois Tool Works Inc. , at their meeting today, declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 24 cents per share or 96 cents per share on an annual basis. This dividend will be paid on Monday, July 19, 2004 to stockholders of record Wednesday, June 30, 2004.

ITW is a $10.0 billion diversified manufacturer of highly engineered components and industrial systems and consumables. The Company consists of approximately 625 decentralized operations in 44 countries and employs some 47,500 people.