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                                                                     Exhibit 99


         OIL-DRI ANNOUNCES PLANS TO PURCHASE FULLER'S EARTH BUSINESS
                           FROM AMCOL INTERNATIONAL

CHICAGO -- March 5,1998 -- Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE:ODC)
announced today that it has signed an agreement to purchase the Fuller's
Earth absorbent business of American Colloid Co., a wholly owned subsidiary
of AMCOL International (NASDAQ:ACOL). The business has approximately
$15,000,000 in revenues, including coarse private label cat litter, oil and
grease absorbents and agricultural carriers.

The agreement is subject to approval by each company's Board of Directors.
Closing of the acquisition will be pending normal due diligence.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel S. Jaffee, commented; "With
this acquisition, we will increase cat litter sales to many new customers and
expand our relationships with existing ones. This will give us an opportunity
to provide retailers with a consolidated source for both their private label
and branded cat litter products. Oil-Dri's branded products currently have
ACV distribution of 70% in U.S. grocery and mass merchandiser outlets.

Included in the purchase are a production plant and associated mineral
reserves in Mounds, IL and mineral reserves located in Paris, TN and Silver
Springs, NV.

"This strategic acquisition will increase our manufacturing capacity and
distribution throughout the U.S. with a new midwestern manufacturing facility
and an expanded mineral reserve base in the western United States," said
Daniel Jaffee.

"Cost of the acquisition was less than a dollar for a dollar of sales.
Financing will be a long-term, fixed-rate, private placement. Once the
acquisition is integrated into our manufacturing and distribution system, it
will provide positive cash flow, increased earnings and an improved return on
shareholders' equity."

DELIVERING ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN
Daniel Jaffee continued, "The acquisition of this business will allow us to
leverage core competencies and market experience in our pet products group
with increased manufacturing flexibility, additional mineral reserves and
more efficient logistical capabilities. It will make Oil-Dri the largest
supplier of private label cat litter in the country and give us the critical
mass needed to participate more competitively in the cat litter market.

"As indicated at our annual shareholders' meeting, we anticipate that
growth in the next five years will come from both internal development and
acquisitions. With this acquisition and the new product launches scheduled
for the fourth quarter of our current fiscal year, fiscal 1999 promises to be
very exciting."

Richard M. Jaffee, Oil-Dri's chairman, also remarked on the acquisition: "Dan
and his team worked together to evaluate all the aspects of this opportunity
and the synergies that it will provide. This is a very positive development
for Oil-Dri. They are to be congratulated on a job well done."

This release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the
company's expected performance for future periods and actual results for such
periods may materially differ. Such forward-looking statements are subject to
uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to, competitive factors in
the grocery, mass merchandiser and club segments of the consumer market; the
level of success of new products; changes in planting activity and overall
agricultural demand; changes in market conditions and the overall economy, and
other factors detailed from time to time in the company's annual report and
other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leader in developing, manufacturing and
marketing products and for pet care, industrial, environmental, agricultural,
and fluids purification markets. VISIT OIL-DRI'S WEB SITE AT WWW.OILDRI.COM
TO VIEW NEWS RELEASES AND COMPANY INFORMATION.


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