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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10-D

                                                May 12, 2000

Mr. Robert C. Flexon
4000 Pacific Avenue, #303
Marina del Rey, CA  90292

Dear Bob:

      I am pleased to confirm the terms and conditions of your offer to join
Hercules Incorporated in the position of Vice President, Business Analysis
within the Finance Division of Hercules. This position will report to George
MacKenzie, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

      Our offer includes the following components:

      1.    Annual Base Salary: $240,000 payable in 12 equal monthly
            installments. Pursuant to our salary administration policy, salary
            reviews are conducted each March 1st.

      2.    2000 MICP Target Opportunity: Your target annual incentive
            opportunity under the Hercules Management Incentive Compensation
            Plan (MICP) is 50% of your base salary and will be prorated for the
            number of months from your start date to the end of the year. The
            maximum payout is 200% and, of course, the minimum is zero. Any
            payouts above the target amount are made in discounted restricted
            stock.

      3.    Long-Term Incentive: In this position, you are eligible to receive
            annual grants under the Hercules Long-Term Incentive Compensation
            Plan (LTICP). The 2000 award was for 35,500 non-qualified stock
            options. Upon commencing employment, you will receive a pro-rated
            number of options based on the number of months from your start date
            to the end of the year with the exercise priced determined on the
            first day of the month following your start date.

      4.    Benefits: Your benefits will be covered under the current Hercules
            Incorporated plan per the enclosed Benefits overview.

      5.    Deferred Compensation: In the fall of 2000, you become eligible to
            participate in the Hercules Deferred Compensation Plan. This plan
            provides the option to defer before-tax salary and/or target MICP
            amounts. More information will be provided to you on this plan when
            you become eligible to participate.
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Robert C. Flexon
May 12, 2000
2

      6.    Executive Stock Purchase Program: In the fall of 2000, you will
            become eligible to participate in the Executive Stock Purchase
            Program. This program, under the LTICP, provides you with the option
            of converting salary, target MICP amounts, and Nonqualified Pension
            benefits into Hercules Restricted Stock at a 15% discount. The
            program also provides for the exchange of Nonqualified Savings Plan
            balances for restricted stock with no discount. More information
            will be provided to you on this program through the Corporate Human
            Resources Department.

      7.    Relocation: You will be eligible for the Hercules relocation policy
            applicable to homeowners if you complete a move of your principal
            residence to the Wilmington area anytime within the next year.

      8.    Financial Planning: You will be reimbursed for Financial / Tax
            planning or Tax preparation up to $5,000 annually. Our preferred
            providers are PricewaterhouseCoopers and AYCO, however, you may
            select a vendor of your choice. Please contact Richard Fluri, vice
            president, Human Resources, for program details.

      9.    Signing Bonus: You will receive as part of your offer an award of
            10,000 non-qualified stock options with an exercise price determined
            on the first day of the month following your start date.

      In the event that your position is eliminated, you will be eligible to
receive one year of severance. Should an enhanced severance program be offered
in the future, this severance benefit is not additive, but rather the program
that is most favorable will prevail. This benefit is triggered by Hercules and
will not be paid in the event that you resign.

      You are also eligible for a special severance of two years in the event of
a Change of Control at Hercules Incorporated. Program details will be provided
upon employment.

      This offer is contingent upon two issues. You must successfully pass our
standard pre-placement physical examination before your anticipated starting
date. A part of this examination will be a test to detect the use of drugs or
alcohol. If you are currently using prescription drugs, please bring your
prescription with you to the physical. In addition, we must verify employment
eligibility under the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

      Bob, I am excited about having you as part of the Hercules team in this
critical role. I look forward to working with you to make this a personally and
professionally rewarding opportunity.

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Robert C. Flexon
May 12, 2000
3

      To indicate your review and acceptance with the above terms please sign a
copy of this letter and return it to me within three days.

                                                    Best regards,

                                                    June B. Barry
                                                    Executive Vice President,
                                                    Corporate Resources Group

Accepted by:

-----------------------
Robert C. Flexon

Enclosure<PAGE>
                                                                    EXHIBIT 10-E

(PLAN II)

                  THE HERCULES EXECUTIVE SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN
              Plan II Benefit Structure adopted January 1, 1987(1)
         (See Plan I filed March 27, 1981 for Plan I Benefit Structure)

The Hercules Executive Survivor Benefit Plan (HESBP) provides selected
executives with an opportunity to financially protect their survivors in the
event of death. The benefits offered by this plan are of two types:
preretirement and postretirement death benefits.

Preretirement Death Benefits

If you die prior to retiring from Hercules, your survivor(s) will receive a lump
sum equal to your life insurance selection in the Flex Benefits Plan plus
another one times your annual compensation. (For the purpose of this plan,
compensation is defined as base annual compensation for the previous calendar
year plus the average Bonus or Incentive paid for the past two full calendar
years of employment.) This benefit comes from two sources: the broad-based
Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan and Hercules' general assets. For the purpose
of calculating survivor benefits, compensation is limited to $500,000, resulting
in a maximum net benefit of $1,500,000.

Hercules will provide your survivors, through the Group Life Insurance Plan,
with an amount equal to the amount you selected in the Flex Benefits Plan. The
Flex Plan provides you with credits equal to two times your annual compensation.
Ordinary income taxes will not be due on that payment since it is funded through
life insurance. Your heirs also will receive a payment equal to one times annual
compensation from the general assets of Hercules. This payment will be increased
(grossed up) to reimburse your beneficiaries for the ordinary income taxes that
will be due on that payment.

You will be reimbursed twice annually (in July and January) for reportable, or
imputed income, which is the value assigned by the Internal Revenue Service for
Company-provided life insurance in excess of $50,000.

Postretirement Death Benefit

The postretirement death benefits offered by Hercules Executive Survivor Benefit
Plan are provided through two sources: the Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan
and Hercules' general assets.

From the Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan, your beneficiary(s) will receive a
lump sum payment of $5,000 if you selected $50,000, 1 times pay or 2 times pay
in the Flex Plan. If you select 3, 4, or 5 times pay in Flex, you will receive
$5,000 plus 1, 2 or 3 times pay. At age 65 any optional coverage (3, 4, or 5
times pay) will decrease to 1 times pay. At age 66, and each year thereafter,
this remaining amount will decreased by 20% of the original balance to a minimum
of $20,000. The HESBP will supplement the Hercules Group Life Insurance by
providing 2 times pay to your beneficiary at your death following retirement
regardless of the level of coverage selected under the Flex Plan.

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Designation of Beneficiaries

The current beneficiary designations under the Hercules Group Life Insurance
Plan will be recognized under the Executive Survivor Benefit Plan. In the event
a participant has designated different beneficiaries for the different units of
coverage under the current Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan, a percentage
allocation of proceeds under the Hercules Executive Survivor Benefit Plan will
be made accordingly. A new participant who previously has not participated in
the Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan will be given a beneficiary designation
form under the Hercules Executive Survivor Benefit Plan.

The participant may change his/her beneficiary(s) by completing the appropriate
beneficiary designation form. Beneficiaries may be any individual, estate,
trust, or other legally recognized beneficiary as designated by the participant.

Administration of Claims

Claims by your beneficiary(s) will be handled through the guidelines established
through Hercules Group Life Insurance Plan.

Plan Document

The information in this brochure is intended to explain the benefits offered by
the Hercules Executive Survivor Benefit Plan. Your specific rights to benefits
under this plan are governed by the official plan document.

As with all benefit plans, Hercules has taken steps to ensure that this plan
complies with changes in tax laws, regulations, rulings, and their
interpretations. While we intend to maintain this plan indefinitely, Hercules
retains the right to amend, modify, or terminate this plan. Please contact the
Human Resources Department if you have any questions.

(1)   This Plan was adopted January 1987 as a result of tax law changes (Deficit
      Reduction Act of 1984). Changes from Plan I include a reduction in active
      employee coverage (from 3 times compensation to 2 times compensation) and
      a reduction in the after tax post-retirement benefits.

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