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American Pacific Corporation Appoints John R. Gibson Chief Executive Officer

8 July 1997

American Pacific Corporation Appoints John R. Gibson Chief Executive Officer

    LAS VEGAS, July 8 -- American Pacific Corporation
announced today that John R. Gibson has been appointed Chief
Executive Officer and President of the Company, effective July 16, 1997.
    John Gibson was elected a director of the Company in 1988.  Mr. Gibson has
been the Company's Vice President - Engineering and Operations since March
1992 and has served as President of the Company's American Azide Corporation
subsidiary and most recently as the principal operating officer of all of the
Company's subsidiaries other than its real estate ventures.  Prior to joining
the Company he was the Director of Modernization of USS-POSCO Industries, a
joint venture of U.S. Steel and POSCO, a Korean Company and a fabricator of
steel products.
   Mr. David Keys, Chief Financial Officer of the Company was elected a
Director of the Company.
    Fred D. Gibson, Jr. will continue as Chairman of the Board until the next
annual shareholder's meeting of the Company scheduled for March 1998.  Mr.
Fred D. Gibson, Jr. will remain available to the Company as a consultant for
special projects.  Mr. Gibson pledged his continued support of the Company.
The Board of Directors expressed its gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Gibson
for his leadership in the Company for a period of over forty years, through
several periods of significant challenge, including the 1986 Challenger
disaster and the loss of its ammonium perchlorate plant in 1988.
    American Pacific Corporation is a specialty chemical company that produces
products used primarily in space flight and defense systems, automotive airbag
safety systems, and fire extinguishment systems.  The Company also designs and
manufactures environmental protection products and is involved in real estate
development.

SOURCE  American Pacific Corporation