Press Release

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Lee N. Short, Jr., retired chairman and chief executive officer of Mine Safety Appliances Company (Amex: MSA), died peacefully Thursday. The cause of death was cancer. He was 74.

Mr. Short was a resident of Upper St. Clair, Pa. He served Pittsburgh- based MSA, the world's leading manufacturer of safety equipment, for 50 years, earning a reputation for his skill and expertise in international business operations.

During his long and dedicated service for MSA, Mr. Short ascended from his first entry-level position with the company in 1947 to become president and chief executive officer in 1986, before adding the title of chairman in 1990. He retired as chairman, president and CEO in 1991 at the age of 65, but continued to serve MSA as a director of the company until 1997.

"Lee Short made an indelible contribution to the growth and success of MSA," said John T. Ryan III, MSA's chairman and chief executive since Mr. Short's retirement in 1991. "His leadership, especially in guiding our international operations, helped build MSA into a strong global company. Lee will be missed by the MSA family and by the many other people whose lives he touched."

"To all who knew him professionally, he will be remembered as a person of diligence and determination who put forth total effort for his team and his company to succeed in gaining orders, showing good financial results and protecting the lives and health of all who used MSA products. To all who knew him personally, Lee's other defining characteristic was his devotion to his family, to his church and to God," Mr. Ryan said.

Mr. Short joined MSA in 1947 after graduating from Cornell University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He earned his master's degree in business administration from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.

Mr. Short spent several formative years as an MSA sales representative working in western New York and then moved to MSA's international operations. His first major executive assignment was to move to West Berlin, Germany in 1961. He led the reinvigoration of Auergesellschaft, which MSA had purchased from another large diversified company, and its transformation into a successful, important and profitable part of MSA. In 1973, he founded MSA Europe as Director of European Operations and began the integration of MSA operations in Europe, a position he held through 1981.

Mr. Short was born in Pittsburgh on August 11, 1926. He was raised in Sheridan, Pa., and attended Holy Innocents Grade School and Langley High School. Mr. Short served in the Navy during World War II and enrolled at Bethany College in 1944. One of Mr. Short's biggest thrills was playing football for Bethany College and scoring a touchdown against the University of Pittsburgh in October 1944 at Pitt Stadium. This accomplishment had special meaning for Mr. Short, as he was a lifelong fan of Pitt Panther football. Mr. Short also was a devoted supporter of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mr. Short was a director of Carlow College in Pittsburgh, served on the Board of Visitors of the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate Business School and had served as treasurer and director of the Duquesne Club.

In addition, he was a director of the Industrial Safety Equipment Association, the National Safety Council, the Regional Industrial Development Corp. and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. Mr. Short also was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Penn Southwest Association. During his career in Germany for MSA, Mr. Short served as director and treasurer for the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany.

In 1961, during the height of the Berlin Wall crisis and the escalation of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union, Mr. Short arrived in West Berlin with his large family in tow (three of his 10 children were born in Germany). Mr. Short was fond of saying that when Nikita Khrushchev, the Russian leader, "saw us coming with our big family, he knew the Americans weren't leaving Berlin."

During his time in Europe, Mr. Short witnessed many of the great historic moments of our era. He saw the Berlin Wall being built; was present to hear President John F. Kennedy's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. Soon afterwards Mr. Short welcomed Attorney General Robert Kennedy to the Auergesellschaft factory; had frequent contacts with West Berlin Mayor (and later Chancellor) Willy Brandt, and met Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor and the Father of Modern Germany.

Years later, Mr. Short traveled to Berlin to see the opening and removal of the Berlin Wall and observed the reunification of Germany and the Liberation of Central and Eastern Europe from communism.

Mr. Short is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary Patricia (Moylan) Short of Upper St. Clair, his brother Rev. James Healy Short of Denver, CO, his 10 children and 20 grandchildren. His children are: Leo N. Short III of Minneapolis, Minn., Patrick Short of Erie, Pa., James Short of London, England, Margaret Short of Pittsburgh, Elizabeth Rosinus of Chicago, Ill., Molly Brown and William Short, both of New York, N.Y., Daniel Short of Los Angeles, Ca., Michael Short of Long Island, N.Y., and Catherine LaRocco of Pittsburgh.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by L. Beinhauer & Sons Funeral Home, 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, Pa. 15317. Visitation hours are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18. A 10 a.m. funeral mass will be held Monday, Feb. 19, at St. Thomas More Church, 126 Fort Couch Road, Bethel Park, Pa.
SOURCE Mine Safety Appliances Company
CONTACT: Ben DeMaria of MSA, 412-967-3109; or Mark Deasy of Ketchum, 412-456-3843, for MSA