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                                                                      EXHIBIT 31

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Ralph R. Papitto, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Lynch
         Corporation;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain
         any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
         fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
         circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
         with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
         financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
         material respects the financial condition, results of operation and
         cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
         this report;

         4.       The Registrant's other certifying officer and I are
         responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
         procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e))
         (inapplicable language intentionally omitted) for the Registrant and
         have:

         (a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this quarterly report is being
                  prepared;

         (b)      [Intentionally omitted]

         (c)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                  conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                  and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
                  report based on such evaluation; and

         (d)      Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant's
                  internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                  the Registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially affected, or is reasonable likely to materially
                  affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                  reporting; and

         5.       The Registrant's other certifying officer and I have
         disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
         financial reporting, to the Registrant's auditors and the audit
         committee of Registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
         equivalent function):

         (a)      All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal control over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  Registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

         (b)      Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 11, 2003                     /s/ RALPH R. PAPITTO
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            RALPH R. PAPITTO
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

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