Barnes Elected to A.O. Smith Board of Directors MILWAUKEE, July 12-- A.O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) today announced the election of W. Michael Barnes to its Board of Directors.

Barnes is senior vice president of finance and planning and chief financial officer of Rockwell International Corporation, a $7 billion electronic controls and communications manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis.

Barnes has held a number of engineering, finance, and executive positions during his 32-year career with Rockwell and its affiliated companies. He was elected a corporate vice president in 1989, responsible for business development and planning. He was appointed to his current position in 1991.

Barnes earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A & M University and received a Ph.D. in operations research from that university in 1968. In 1992, the Texas A & M University's College of Engineering named him a distinguished alumnus. He is currently a member of the Texas A&M University Chancellor's Century Council and serves on the university's Engineering Advisory Board.

In 1996, Barnes was elected chairman of the Conference Board's Council of Financial Executives. He also has been a member of the Orange County (Calif.) Business Council and has served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Colleges of Southern California.

A.O. Smith Corporation, with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., is a global manufacturer of electric motors, residential and commercial water heaters. The company employs more than 15,000 people at plants in eight countries. SOURCE A.O. Smith Corporation

CONTACT: Media, Edward O'Connor, 414-359-4100, or Analysts-Investors, Craig Watson, 414-359-4009, both of A.O. Smith Corporation/