SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
September 23, 1996
First Financial Holdings, Inc.
______________________________________________________________________________
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
Delaware 0-17122 57-0866076
______________________________________________________________________________
State or other jurisdiction Commission I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation File Number I. D. number
34 Broad Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Address of principal executive offices)
(803) 529-5800
________________________________________________________________________________
Registrant's telephone number (including area code)
<PAGE>
Item 5. Other Events
On September 23, 1996, First Financial Holdings, Inc.
announced that its Board of Directors had elected Paula Harper
Bethea, Director of Client Relations and Development for Bethea,
Jordan and Griffin, P.A. of Hilton Head, South Carolina, to the
Board of Directors. She will also serve on the Board of First
Federal of Charleston, a subsidiary of First Financial Holdings.
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information
and Exhibits
Exhibit (1). Press release dated September 23, 1996.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
FIRST FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, INC.
/s/ A. Thomas Hood
A. Thomas Hood
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Date: September 24, 1996
<PAGE>
Exhibit 1
Press release dated September 23, 1996
<PAGE>
Contact: Susan E. Baham
Senior Vice President
(803) 529-5601
FIRST FINANCIAL HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES
BETHEA ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Charleston, South Carolina (September 23, 1996) -- First
Financial Holdings, Inc. announced today that Paula Harper Bethea
has been elected to serve on its Board of Directors. Ms. Bethea
will also serve on the Board of Directors of First Federal of
Charleston, a subsidiary of First Financial Holdings.
Ms. Bethea is the Director, Client Relations and Development
for Bethea, Jordan & Griffin, P. A. of Hilton Head, South
Carolina. A native of Hampton County, Ms. Bethea is a graduate
of the University of South Carolina. She has been a resident of
Hilton Head Island since 1977. Currently she is Chairperson of
the Board of Governors of United Way of America. She is a Board
member and past Chairperson of United Way of South Carolina and
past Chairperson of the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce
and a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the South
Carolina Chamber of Commerce. In 1984, the Zonta Club chose her
Woman of the Year and in 1985 she was recognized as Hilton Head
Island Citizen of the Year. She served in 1991 on the State
Chamber's Task Force for Restructuring State Government and was a
member and a Subcommittee Chair of the Governor's Commission on
Restructuring. In 1995, the South Carolina Jaycee's presented
her with the Outstanding Young American for Community Service
award and the Governor's office presented her with the South
Carolina Women of Achievement Award. Governor Campbell presented
The Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest award for
volunteer service, to her in 1992.
D. Van Smith, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated,
"First Financial and First Federal of Charleston are very
fortunate that Ms. Bethea has accepted our invitation to serve as
a member of the Board of Directors. Her experience and
significant contributions to government, business and national
and state public service organizations will add great value to
the strategic mission and vision of First Financial Holdings and
First Federal of Charleston."
First Financial Holdings, Inc., with assets of $1.5 billion,
is the parent company of First Federal of Charleston and Peoples
Federal of Conway. The Associations have a total of 32 offices
in South Carolina located in the Charleston Metropolitan area and
Horry, Georgetown, and Florence counties and a loan origination
office in coastal North Carolina.
The common stock of First Financial Holdings, Inc. is traded
on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol FFCH.
