Nicor Inc.
                                                                 Form 8-K
                                                                 Exhibit 99.1



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 FOR MORE INFORMATION
December 20, 2005                     Financial Contact:  Mark Knox, re: N-951
                                                          630 388-2529

                                      Media Contact:      Annette Martinez
                                                          630 388-2781

NICOR ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF TWO NEW DIRECTORS

Naperville, IL - Nicor Inc. (NYSE: GAS) today announced the
appointment of Georgia R. Nelson and Raymond A. Jean to the Nicor
Inc. board of directors.  They were also appointed to the board of
directors of the company's principal subsidiary, Nicor Gas.

Ms. Nelson is the president and chief executive officer for PTI Resources, LLC,
an independent consulting firm focusing on corporate governance issues and the
energy industry. She was president of Midwest Generation, headquartered in
Chicago and one of the largest independent power producers in the Midwest, from
1999 to 2005. Ms. Nelson also served as General Manager of Edison Mission Energy
- Americas, overseeing a number of Edison Mission facilities outside Illinois in
addition to Edison Marketing and Trading, a Boston-based energy marketing
subsidiary, from 2002 to 2005. In addition, she was with Southern California
Edison for more than 25 years, where she was also a senior executive. Ms.
Nelson, 55, currently serves on the boards of directors of Cummins Inc. and
Tower Automotive, Inc.

Mr. Jean is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Quanex
Corporation, a manufacturer of engineered materials and components for the
vehicular products and building products markets, and has held that position
since 2001. Previously, he was corporate vice president for Amsted Industries, a
diversified, privately-held manufacturer of railroad, vehicular, building and
general industrial products. Mr. Jean also served as president and chief
executive of Varlen Corporation, a leading manufacturer of engineered components
for transportation markets, prior to its acquisition by Amsted Industries in
1999. Mr. Jean, 63, currently serves on the board of directors of Amsted
Industries, Inc.
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"We are pleased to welcome Georgia and Raymond as strong new additions to our
board of directors," said Russ M. Strobel, chairman, president and chief
executive officer. "Their perspectives, combined with their diverse business
backgrounds, will be valuable assets to Nicor as we work to execute our
strategic plan and provide long-term value for our shareholders."

Ms. Nelson holds a BS from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the University
of Southern California. Mr. Jean holds a BS in engineering physics from the
University of Maine and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Nicor Inc. (NYSE: GAS) is a holding company and is a member of the Standard &
Poor's 500 Index. Its principal businesses are Nicor Gas, one of the nation's
largest natural gas distribution companies, and Tropical Shipping, a
containerized shipping business serving the Caribbean region and the Bahamas.
Nicor also owns and has an equity interest in several energy-related businesses.
For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicor.com.
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Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
---------------------------------------------
This document includes certain forward-looking statements about the expectations
of Nicor and its subsidiaries and affiliates. Although Nicor believes these
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may vary
materially from stated expectations. Such forward-looking statements may
be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as
"anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "may," "planned," "potential,"
"should," "will," "would," "project," "estimate," "ultimate", or similar
phrases. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the
company's forward-looking statements due to the direct or indirect effects of
legal contingencies (including litigation) and the resolution of those issues,
including the effects of an Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) review and U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and U.S. Attorney inquiries, and undue
reliance should not be placed on such statements.

Other factors that could cause materially different results include, but are not
limited to, weather conditions; natural disasters; natural gas and other fuel
prices; fair value accounting adjustments; inventory valuation; health care
costs; insurance costs or recoveries; legal costs; borrowing needs; interest
rates; credit conditions; economic and market conditions; tourism and
construction in the Bahamas and Caribbean region; energy conservation;
legislative and regulatory actions; tax rulings or audit results; asset sales;
significant unplanned capital needs; future mercury-related charges or credits;
changes in accounting principles, interpretations, methods, judgments or
estimates; performance of major suppliers and contractors; labor relations; and
acts of terrorism.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date of this filing. Nicor undertakes no
obligation to publicly release any revision to these forward-looking statements
to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this filing.
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