ITW Board of Directors Elects David B. Speer CEO and Director; Jim Skinner of McDonald's Corporation also Elected to ITW Board

GLENVIEW, Ill., Aug. 5, 2005 -- Illinois Tool Works Inc. announced today that its Board of Directors has elected David B. Speer to the position of Chief Executive Officer. He was also added to ITW's Board of Directors. Speer succeeds W. James Farrell, who will retain his position of Chairman and serve as a board member until his previously announced and scheduled retirement in May of 2006.

As part of ITW's succession planning process, Speer, 54, was named President in August 2004. Since joining the Company in 1978, Speer has held various selling, marketing and general management responsibilities within the construction products group. In 1995, he was named Executive Vice President of the global construction products businesses. In 1997, he added responsibility for the finishing systems businesses. In 2003, he also added responsibility for the global Wilsonart laminate business units.

Speer graduated from Iowa State University in 1973, earning a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1977, he received a Masters in Management Degree from the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Rockwell Automation, Inc., and serves on the Advisory Board of Northwestern University's Master of Management and Manufacturing program.

In a related development, Jim Skinner, Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's Corporation, has been elected to ITW's Board of Directors. Skinner has held numerous leadership positions during his more than 30 year tenure with McDonald's Corporation. Before being named CEO in November of 2004, he served as President and Chief Operating officer of the McDonald's Restaurant Group, with operating accountability for the company's more than 30,000 restaurants in 118 countries.

ITW is an $11.7 billion in revenues diversified manufacturer of highly engineered components and industrial systems and consumables. The Company consists of approximately 650 decentralized operations in 45 countries and employs some 49,000 people.