UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Potts, Charles F.
Tower Place - Suite 600
3340 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Ashland Inc.
ASH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
July 31, 1998
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Senior Vice President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
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Common Stock | | | | | | |4,736 (1) |I |By Trustee |
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Common Stock | | | | | | |1,780 (2) |I |By Trustee |
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Common Stock |7-16-9|F(3)| |965 |D |$55.375 | | | |
|8 | | | | | | | | |
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Common Stock |7-16-9|M | |1,500 |A |$35.625 | | | |
|8 | | | | | | | | |
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Common Stock |7-16-9|F(4)| |190 |D |$55.375 |1,345 |D | |
|8 | | | | | | | | |
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Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
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Option (5) |35.625 |7-16-|M | |1 |D |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|750 | |0 | | |
| |98 | | | | |89 |-98 | | | | | | |
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|35.625 |7-16-|M | |1 |D |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|375 | |0 | | |
| |98 | | | | |90 |-98 | | | | | | |
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|35.625 |7-16-|M | |1 |D |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|375 | |0 | | |
| |98 | | | | |91 |-98 | | | | | | |
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Option (6) |41.00 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|750 | |750 |D | |
| | | | | | |90 |-99 | | | | | | |
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|41.00 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|375 | |375 |D | |
| | | | | | |91 |-99 | | | | | | |
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|41.00 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|375 | |375 |D | |
| | | | | | |92 |-99 | | | | | | |
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Option (6) |30.50 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|2,000 | |2,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |92 |-01 | | | | | | |
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|30.50 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |93 |-01 | | | | | | |
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|30.50 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |94 |-01 | | | | | | |
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Option (6) |33.125 | | | | | |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|5,000 | |5,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |94 |-03 | | | | | | |
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|33.125 | | | | | |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |95 |-03 | | | | | | |
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|33.125 | | | | | |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |96 |-03 | | | | | | |
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Option (7) |35.875 | | | | | |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|5,000 | |5,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |95 |-04 | | | | | | |
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|35.875 | | | | | |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |96 |-04 | | | | | | |
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|35.875 | | | | | |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |97 |-04 | | | | | | |
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Option (7) |33.875 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|5,000 | |5,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |96 |-05 | | | | | | |
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|33.875 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |97 |-05 | | | | | | |
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|33.875 | | | | | |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |98 |-05 | | | | | | |
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Option (7) |39.00 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|5,000 | |5,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |97 |-06 | | | | | | |
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|39.00 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |98 |-06 | | | | | | |
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|39.00 | | | | | |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |99 |-06 | | | | | | |
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Option (8) |53.375 | | | | | |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|5,000 | |5,000 |D | |
| | | | | | |98 |-07 | | | | | | |
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|53.375 | | | | | |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |99 |-07 | | | | | | |
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|53.375 | | | | | |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
| | | | | | |00 |-07 | | | | | | |
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Common Stock Units (9)|1-for-1 | |J | |92 |A | | |Common Stock|92 | |10,132 |D | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
1. Shares accrued under Ashland's Leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan as of
3-31-96, the date of the
final allocation to this
account.
2. Based on Employee Savings Plan information as of 7-22-98, the latest date
for which such information is
reasonably available, and includes transactions occurring on or after 3-4-98.
3. Shares surrendered in payment of option exercise
price.
4. Shares used to satisfy tax withholding
obligation.
5. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's
Amended Stock Incentive Plan. The employee stock option includes a tax
withholding feature pursuant to the plan.
6. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's
Long-Term Incentive Plan. The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
7. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1993
Stock Incentive Plan. The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
8. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1997
Stock Incentive Plan. The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
9. Common Stock Units acquired pursuant to Ashland's 1995 Deferred
Compensation Plan, payable in cash or
stock upon termination of service and exempt under Rule 16b-3(d). The
acquisition dates range from 2-3-98 to
6-30-98 and the price of the Common Stock Units on applicable valuation dates
has varied from $48.438 to
$57.313. A portion of the gain in shares is due to a correction of an
administrative error.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Charles F. Potts
DATE
August 4, 1998
