CALIFORNIA - News from Jan. 24, 1988

Harvie M. Merrill, 66, chairman of Hexcel Corp. in Dublin, will not stand for reelection in April. Robert L. Witt, 47, president and chief executive, will succeed Merrill. Merrill said when he retired as chief executive in 1986 and continued to serve as chairman, it was with the expectation that he would retire as chairman in 1988. Hexcel Corp. is a developer and manufacturer of honeycomb, advanced composites and specialty chemicals and resins used in aerospace, space, defense and other industries.