EXHIBIT 99.1



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             CONTACT:

VALHI, INC.                                       STEVEN L. WATSON
THREE LINCOLN CENTRE                              VICE PRESIDENT AND
5430 LBJ FREEWAY, SUITE 1700                      SECRETARY
DALLAS, TEXAS  75240-2697                         (214) 450-4216
(214) 233-1700





                        VALHI ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE CHANGES

     DALLAS, TEXAS . . . . July 1, 1994 . . . . Valhi, Inc. announced today that
Michael A. Snetzer has stepped down as President and will devote full-time to
the operations of Medite Corporation, the Company's wholly-owned forest products
subsidiary.  Harold Simmons, Chairman and CEO of Valhi will assume Mr. Snetzer's
Valhi duties.  


     Mr. Simmons said "This change reflects my decision to place increased
emphasis on the rapidly growing engineered products segment of our forest
products company."  As CEO of Medite, Mr. Snetzer is expected to continue the
company's expansion in medium density fiberboard, an engineered wood product,
which has grown from 37% of Medite's sales to approximately 70% of sales in the
last six years.   Medite has annual revenues of approximately $200 million and
employs approximately 700 people at its plants in Oregon, New Mexico and the
Republic of Ireland. Mr. Snetzer first became Chairman of Medite shortly after
its acquisition in 1984. 


     Valhi, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a diversified industrial
management company engaged in the refined sugar, forest products, fast food and
hardware products industries.  Valhi is also engaged in the chemicals and
titanium metals industries through its equity interests in two publicly-held
affiliates, NL Industries, Inc. and Tremont Corporation.  Valhi's common stock
is traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges under the symbol "VHI". 

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