TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

     - Parker S. Kennedy Appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer -

SANTA ANA, Calif., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF), the nation's leading diversified provider of business information and related products and services, today announced that it has named Donald P. Kennedy chairman emeritus of the board of directors of The First American Corporation.

Donald Kennedy, the grandson of First American founder C.E. Parker, has served First American for 55 years, having joined then Orange County Title Company as associate counsel in 1948. He was appointed vice president of First American in 1951, executive vice president in 1958, president in 1963, and chairman of the board in 1993. In addition to his new role of chairman emeritus, he will continue to serve as vice chairman of First American Title Insurance Company.

A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Southern California School of Law, Donald Kennedy's distinguished career at First American has included the expansion of the corporation from a privately held, regional title insurance company to a publicly traded, multinational business information provider. His numerous professional affiliations include serving as past president of the California Land Title Association, past president of the American Land Title Association, and induction into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame.

Actively involved in community affairs, Donald Kennedy serves as vice chairman of the board of trustees of Chapman University and as chairman of the university's Athletic Committee. He is also a member of Stanford University's Athletic Board, past chairman of the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts, and chairman emeritus of the board of governors of the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, Calif.

Parker S. Kennedy, Donald Kennedy's son, will serve as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of The First American Corporation. He will also retain his existing roles as the corporation's president and as chairman of its principal subsidiary, First American Title Insurance Company. A First American employee since 1977, Parker Kennedy was appointed to The First American Corporation's board of directors in 1987 and was named president of First American Title Insurance Company in 1989. He became president of The First American Corporation in 1993.

A member of the California Bar Association, Parker Kennedy practiced law for four years with Levinson & Lieberman, Beverly Hills, Calif. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in economics, and received his law degree from Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, in 1973.

The First American Corporation is a Fortune 500 company that traces its history to 1889. As the nation's leading diversified provider of business information, the company supplies businesses and consumers with information resources in connection with the major economic events of people's lives, such as getting a job; renting an apartment; buying a car, house, boat or airplane; securing a mortgage; opening or buying a business; and planning for retirement. The First American Family of Companies, many of which command leading market share positions in their respective industries, operate within seven primary business segments including: Title Insurance and Services, Specialty Insurance, Trust and Other Services, Mortgage Information, Property Information, Credit Information and Screening Information. With revenues of $4.70 billion in 2002, First American has nearly 25,000 employees in approximately 1,400 offices throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about The First American Corporation's subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com .

For further information, please contact David Schulz, Corporate Communications of The First American Corporation, +1-, .

SOURCE  The First American Corporation