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Cooper Industries Announces Board of Directors Change

18 April 2000

Cooper Industries Announces Board of Directors Change COOPER INDUSTRIES LOGO Cooper Industries' logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] HOUSTON, TX USA 05/13/1999    

    HOUSTON, April 18 Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE) today
announced that it has reduced the size of its board of directors to
10 members.  Alain J. P. Belda, 56, currently president and chief executive
officer of Alcoa, has stepped down from Cooper's board of directors effective
April 14, 2000 in order to have more time to devote to his other business
commitments.
    "On behalf of Cooper's employees and shareholders, I would like to thank
Alain Belda for his service on our board and we wish him well in his efforts
to expand Alcoa's businesses," said H. John Riley, Jr., chairman, president
and chief executive officer.
    Cooper Industries, with 1999 revenues of $3.9 billion, is a worldwide
manufacturer of electrical products, tools and hardware.  Additional
information about Cooper is available on the Company's Internet site:
http://www.cooperindustries.com.

    Contact:  John Breed of Cooper Industries, 713-209-8835.