UnumProvident Re-Elects Four Directors at Annual Shareholders Meeting

May 13, 2004

PORTLAND, Maine, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At its annual meeting held here today, UnumProvident Corporation's (NYSE: UNM) shareholders re-elected four directors to terms expiring in 2007.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030929/CHM022LOGO-a )

Those re-elected were Ronald E. Goldsberry, chairman of OnStation Corporation; Hugh O. Maclellan Jr., president of The Maclellan Foundation, Inc.; C. William Pollard, chairman emeritus of The ServiceMaster Company; and John W. Rowe, chairman and CEO of Exelon Corporation.

Continuing directors include William L. Armstrong, Jon S. Fossel, A.S. (Pat) MacMillan Jr., Lawrence R. Pugh and UnumProvident CEO Thomas J. Watjen. Pollard and Pugh are currently co-chairmen of the Office of Chairman of the Board.

In his remarks to shareholders, Mr. Watjen outlined key accomplishments of the past 15 months, including: a capital position that is stronger than at any time in the Company's history, a significantly strengthened balance sheet and investment portfolio, and a solid business plan for the future that is more heavily weighted to profitability over growth.

"As a result of our restructuring over the past twelve months, we are a very different company today," he said. "The basic operating and financial platform is now finally in place, and I'm confident that from this platform we can continue to serve our customers well and that we can produce solid returns for our shareholders."

In addition to electing four directors, shareholders rejected two stockholder proposals: to elect directors by a majority instead of plurality vote and to establish an office of the Board of Directors.

About UnumProvident Corporation

UnumProvident (UNM) is the largest provider of group and individual disability income protection insurance in North America.(1) Through its subsidiaries, UnumProvident Corporation insures more than 25 million people and paid $5.7 billion in total benefits to customers in 2003. With primary offices in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Portland, Maine, the company employs more than 13,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.unumprovident.com .

A "safe harbor" is provided for "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release regarding the business of UnumProvident Corporation, which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made based upon management's current expectations and beliefs as of the date of this press release, but there can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties that could affect actual results, see the sections entitled "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward- Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

SOURCE  UnumProvident Corporation
    -0-                             05/13/2004
    /CONTACT:  Mary Clarke Guenther of UnumProvident Corporation,
+1-423-294-6300, or mguenther@unumprovident.com/
    /Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030929/CHM022LOGO-a
             AP Archive:  http://photoarchive.ap.org
             PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 212-782-2840/
    /Web site: http://www.unumprovident.com /
    (UNM)

CO:  UnumProvident Corporation
ST:  Tennessee, Maine
IN:  FIN INS
SU:  PER

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