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                                                                 EXHIBIT 99.2


                                  NEWS RELEASE


                       HERCULES ELECTS FOUR NEW DIRECTORS


WILMINGTON, Del., October 19, 1998... Hercules Incorporated (NYSE: HPC) Monday
announced the elections of four new members to the company's board of directors,
an action related to the recent acquisition of BetzDearborn Inc.

The four former BetzDearborn directors added to the board bring the number of
Hercules directors to 14, 11 of whom are outside, nonemployee directors. The new
directors are William R. Cook, John G. Drosdick, Alan R. Hirsig and John A. H.
Shober.

According to R. Keith Elliott, Hercules chairman and co-chief executive officer,
"We are very fortunate to have these directors join our board. The experience
and vast knowledge in technology and business they bring to the board will be
invaluable as we work to make the 'new Hercules' the world's premier specialty
chemicals company."

Mr. Cook, 55, currently Hercules vice chairman and co-chief executive officer
was the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of BetzDearborn
Incorporated. He joined BetzDearborn in 1972 and held positions in product and
marketing management, engineering services, and senior management of several
subsidiaries.

In 1987, he became a senior vice president of the corporation. He was elected
president and chief operating officer in 1989, president and chief executive
officer in 1993, and, in 1996, to the additional post of chairman.

Mr. Drosdick, 55, is president, chief operating officer, and a director of Sun
Company, Inc., one of the largest independent petroleum refiner-marketers in
the United States selling its products under the principal trade name of SUNOCO.

Prior to joining Sun Company in 1996, Mr. Drosdick was president of Ultramar
Corporation from 1990 to 1996 and president of Tosco Corporation from 1987 to
1990. He began his career with Exxon in 1968.



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Mr. Hirsig, 59, is the retired president and chief executive officer of ARCO
Chemical Company. He began his career in 1961 with Sinclair Oil Corporation, an
ARCO predecessor company.

He joined ARCO Chemical in 1969 and held a number of research and managerial
positions including vice president of Research and Development, vice president
of Finance and Planning, vice president of Business Management and Marketing,
and president of the company's European operations.

He was elected an ARCO Chemical senior vice president in 1988 and a board member
in 1989. Mr. Hirsig was elected president and CEO in 1991 and served in that
capacity until his retirement in May, 1998, at which time he was appointed vice
chairman of the board.

Mr. Shober, 65, a private investor and corporate director, had been a director
of BetzDearborn since 1987. He has been a director of Penn Virginia Corporation,
a natural resources company, since 1978, vice chairman of the board of directors
from 1992 to 1996, and president and chief executive officer from 1989 to 1992.

Mr. Shober also serves as chairman of Anker Coal Group, Inc., a director of
Airgas, Inc., and serves as director of several other organizations.

Hercules manufactures chemical specialty products used in a variety of home,
office, and industrial products. Its businesses are Pulp and Paper,
BetzDearborn, Aqualon, Resins, Food Gums and FiberVisions.

The corporation's focus is on sustainable, long-term growth in shareholder
value, driven by concentration on the customer, new product growth, and
continuous improvement in manufacturing costs. For more information, visit the
Hercules website at www.herc.com.

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Media Contact:  Claire LaMar Carey (302) 594-6030, ccarey@herc.com
Investor Contact:  Bob Gallant (302) 594-5254, rgallant@herc.com


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