Ownership Submission
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Bancroft Brian K
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
06/06/2005
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
OIL DRI CORPORATION OF AMERICA [ODC]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
410 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE, 4TH FLOOR
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chief Procurement Officer
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

CHICAGO, IL 60611-4213
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)
3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock (1) (2) 5,000 (3)
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Options (Right to buy) (4) (5) 02/01/2007(6) 02/01/2015 Common Stock (7) 10,000 $ 18.45 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Bancroft Brian K
410 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE, 4TH FLOOR
CHICAGO, IL 60611-4213
      Chief Procurement Officer  

Signatures

Maryon Gray 06/09/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Date of event requiring statement is June 1, 2005. Third party reporting software utilized by Reporting Person generates incorrect date.
(6) 25% of the shares will become exercisable on the 2nd anniversary of the grant date and an additional 25% on the 3rd, 4th and 5th anniversaries of the grant date.
(7) If Class A Common Stock is issued and publicly traded on any securities market (as defined in the Plan) when option is exercised, then Class A Common Stock.
(3) Vesting Schedule: Provided the Reporting Person is employed by the Issuer on the dates shown, the shares will become non-forfeitable on the following dates: 1,000 shares on March 15, 2006; 1,500 shares on March 15, 2007; and 2,500 shares on March 15, 2008.
(5) Grant of employee stock options pursuant to the Oil-Dri Corporation of America 1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan in a transaction exempt under rule 16b-3.
(4) Grant date: February 1, 2005
(2) Restricted Stock granted pursuant to the Oil-Dri Corporation of America 1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan ("Plan") in a transaction exempt under rule 16b-3. If Class A Common Stock is issued and publicly traded on any securities market (as defined in the Plan) when stock becomes non-forfeitable, then on that date the Common Stock will be exchanged for Class A Common Stock.

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