Exhibit 99.1

NEWS BULLETIN
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Old Republic International Corporation
307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601-5382 312/346-8100
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For Further Information:

AT OLD REPUBLIC:                        AT FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD:
A.C. Zucaro                             George Zagoudis
Chairman & CEO                          General Information
(312) 346-8100                          (312) 640-6663
                                        gzagoudis@financialrelationsboard.com

AT FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD:           AT FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD:
Leslie Loyet                            Tim Grace
Analysts/Investors                      Media Inquiries
(312) 640-6672                          (312) 640-6667
lloyet@financialrelationsboard.com      tgrace@financialrelationsboard.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  NYSE: ORI
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005

                             OLD REPUBLIC ANNOUNCES
                       MANAGEMENT ADDITIONS AND PROMOTIONS

              Forms Corporate Office of the Chief Executive Officer


Chicago - May 12, 2005 - Old Republic  International  Corporation  (NYSE:  ORI),
today announced several senior management additions,  promotions and alignments.
All of these changes are effective June 1, 2005.

General Insurance Group

Within  the  General   Insurance  Group,  Greg  Ator,  52,  will  advance  to  a
newly-created position of Senior Vice  President-Standard  Commercial Insurance.
He will  continue as President  and Chief  Executive  Officer of the  Bituminous
Companies  with added  management  responsibility  for the  standard  commercial
insurance  businesses  conducted by Old Republic Insurance Company, Old Republic
Surety,  and  Employers  General.  Ator has been with Old  Republic  and several
subsidiaries for 31 years.

Concurrently,  Scott Rager, 56, Chief Executive  Officer of Old Republic's Great
West truck insurance  business,  will advance to the new position of Senior Vice
President-Transportation  Insurance of the General Insurance Group. He will have
continued responsibility for the management of the Great West companies, as well
as those of the Corporation's general aviation, automobile extended warranty and
Canadian truck and travel insurance businesses. Rager has held various positions
during his 29-year career at Old Republic and several subsidiaries.

Greg Ator and Scott Rager will  continue as members of the Old Republic  General
Insurance Group's Office of the Chief Executive Officer (OCEO) together with Jim
Kellogg,  53,  President-General  Insurance;  Spencer  LeRoy,  59,  Senior  Vice
President and General Counsel; Karl Mueller, 45, Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer and Al Zucaro, 66, Chief Executive Officer.


                                     -more-


Old Republic International Corporation
Add 1


Mortgage Guaranty Group

Chris Nard,  41, is promoted to  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer of Old
Republic's   Mortgage   Guaranty   Group  of  companies,   and  to  Senior  Vice
President-Mortgage  Guaranty of Old Republic  International  Corporation.  Chris
Nard has spent his entire career in the mortgage finance industry, including the
past ten years with Old Republic's  Mortgage Guaranty Group. In these positions,
he succeeds  Bill  Simpson,  63, who will  continue as Chairman of the  Mortgage
Guaranty subsidiaries and as a member of the three-person Mortgage Guaranty OCEO
along with Jimmy Dew, 64, as Vice Chairman, and himself.

Title Insurance Group

There are no management  changes in the Title Insurance Group. Rande Yeager, 56,
President and Chief Executive Officer,  will continue to lead this segment. This
Group's OCEO will also continue to consist of Rande; Mark Budzinski,  46, Senior
Vice  President,  Legal;  Robert  Chapman,  49, Senior Vice  President and Chief
Information  Officer;  Pat Connor, 48, Senior Vice President,  National Services
Group; Gary Horn, 51, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial  Officer;  Wayne
Shupe, 47,  President of Old Republic's  Western Title  Operations;  and Stephen
Wilson, 56, Executive Vice President.

Corporate Operations

In Old  Republic's  Chicago  headquarters,  the  Corporation  will add Stephanie
Cournoyer,  30, to its executive ranks as Vice  President-Director  of Financial
Reporting.  Prior to  joining  Old  Republic,  she  spent  nine  years  with the
international  accounting  firm of KPMG LLP,  most  recently  as a senior  audit
manager specializing in the insurance industry.

At the  corporate  level,  Old Republic is  establishing  an Office of the Chief
Executive  Officer.  This  group  is  composed  of  Jim  Kellogg,   Senior  Vice
President-General  Insurance;  Spencer LeRoy,  Senior Vice President and General
Counsel; Karl Mueller,  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Chris
Nard,  Senior  Vice  President-Mortgage  Guaranty;  Rande  Yeager,  Senior  Vice
President-Title Insurance; and Al Zucaro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

In  making  the  announcement,   Zucaro  noted  that  "The  objective  of  these
promotions, additions and executive alignments is to enhance the coordination of
Old Republic's  multi-faceted  business and to ensure  continuity of its culture
and management philosophy for the long run."

A chart reflecting the Corporation's senior executive ranks and responsibilities
is attached to this news release.

About Old Republic

Chicago-based  Old Republic  International  Corporation is an insurance  holding
company  whose  subsidiaries  market,  underwrite  and provide  risk  management
services  for a wide  variety of  coverages,  principally  in the  property  and
liability,  mortgage guaranty and title insurance fields. One of the nation's 50
largest  publicly  owned  insurance  organizations,  Old  Republic has assets of
approximately  $10.6 billion and  capitalization  of $4.0  billion.  Its current
stock market valuation is approximately $4.3 billion.


   For the latest news releases and other corporate documents on Old Republic
                    International visit: www.oldrepublic.com
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                                               OLD REPUBLIC INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                                       Senior Management Group
                                                       Effective June 1, 2005
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<s>                                <c>                                                  <c>
                                               Old Republic International Corporation
                                               --------------------------------------
                                                                OCEO
                                                                ----

                                               Jim Kellogg, Sr. VP - General Insurance

                                               Spencer LeRoy, Sr. VP & General Counsel

                                               Karl Mueller, Sr. VP & CFO

                                               Chris Nard, Sr. VP - Mortgage Guaranty

                                               Rande Yeager, Sr. VP - Title Insurance

                                               Al Zucaro, Chairman & CEO




Old Republic Morgage Guaranty            Old Republic General Insurance                     Old Republic Title Insurance
- -----------------------------            ------------------------------                     ----------------------------
            OCEO                                     OCEO                                              OCEO
            ----                                     ----                                              ----

Jimmy Dew, Vice Chairman           Greg Ator, Sr. VP - Standard Commercial Ins.        Mark Budzinski, Sr. VP Legal

Chris Nard, President & CEO        Jim Kellog, Pres. - General Ins.                    Robert Chapman, Sr. VP & CIO

Bill Simpson, Chairman             Spencer LeRoy, Sr. VP & General Counsel             Pat Connor, Sr. VP - National Services Group

                                   Karl Mueller, Sr. VP & CFO                          Gary Horn, Sr. VP & CFO

                                   Scott Rager, Sr. VP - Transportation Ins.           Wayne Shupe, Pres. - Old Republic Western
                                                                                            Title Operations
                                   Al Zucaro, Chariman & CEO
                                                                                       Stephen Wilson, Exec. VP

                                                                                       Rande Yeager, Pres. & CEO