U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
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(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
[_] Check box if no longer subject of Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations
may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Sanderson William R.
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(Last) (First) (Middle)
225 North 13th Avenue
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(Street)
Laurel Mississippi 39440
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(City) (State) (Zip)
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2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SAFM
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3. IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)
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4. Statement for Month/Year
May 2002
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5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
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6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
[X] Director [X] 10% Owner
[_] Officer (give title below) [_] Other (specify below)
Director of Marketing
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7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)
[X] Form filed by one Reporting Person
[_] Form filed by more than one Reporting Person
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
or Beneficially Owned
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6.
4. 5. Owner-
Securities Acquired (A) or Amount of ship
3. Disposed of (D) Securities Form: 7.
Transaction (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Direct Nature of
2. Code ------------------------------- Owned at End (D) or Indirect
1. Transaction (Instr. 8) (A) of Month Indirect Beneficial
Title of Security Date ------------ Amount or Price (Instr. 3 (I) Ownership
(Instr. 3) (mm/dd/yy) Code V (D) and 4) (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
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Common Stock, par value
$1.00 per share 5/13/02 W V 400,000(2) D 2,399,672(1) I (1)
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Cust. for
Common Stock, par value minor
$1.00 per share 28,134 I Children
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Director
Common Stock par value of private
$1.00 per share 150,604 I foundation
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Common Stock par value Owner of
$1.00 per share 5/13/02 W V 100,000(2) A 228,835 D record
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Common Stock par value ESOP
$1.00 per share 9,256 I Allocation
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Common Stock par value
$1.00 per share 8,460 I Wife owns
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(1) The amount reported on Form 4 includes 2,399,672 shares of common stock
benefically owned by Mr. Sanderson as co-executor of the Estate of Joe Frank
Sanderson, deceased. The co-executors share voting and investment power with
respect to the 2,399,672 shares owned directly by the Estate. The amount in the
table also includes 150,604 shares owned directly by a private foundation
established by Joe Frank Sanderson for which William R. Sanderson serves as a
director, and as such, shares voting and investment power with the other
directors of the foundation with respect to such shares. With respect to the
9,256 shares shown as indirect ownership by virtue of their allocation to Mr.
Sanderson's account under the Employee Stock Ownership Trust established by
Sanderson Farms, Inc. Mr. Sanderson has sole voting power over such shares, but
the investment power in such shares are exercised by the trustees of the ESOP.
This Form 4 includes 28,134 shares of common stock held by William R. Sanderson
as custodian for his minor children over which he exercises sole voting and
investment power.
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(2) On May 13, 2002, the Executors of the Estate of Joe Frank Sanderson asked
for and received permission from the judge overseeing the administration of the
Estate of Joe Frank Sanderson, deceased, to distribute 400,000 shares of
Sanderson Farms, Inc. common stock equally among the four primary beneficiaries
(the children of Joe Frank Sanderson) of the Estate. Mr. Sanderson is the son
of Joe Frank Sanderson, deceased, and is one of the primary beneficiaries of the
Estate.
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* If the Form is filed by more than one Reporting Person, see
Instruction 4(b)(v).
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
(Print or Type Responses)
(Over)
(Form 4-07/99)
FORM 4 (continued)
Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
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10.
9. Owner-
Number ship
of Form
2. Deriv- of
Conver- 5. 7. ative Deriv- 11.
sion Number of Title and Amount Secur- ative Nature
or Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. ities Secur- of
Exer- 4. Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In-
cise 3. Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct
Price Trans- action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene-
1. of action Code of(D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial
Title of Deriv- Date (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner-
Derivative ative (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Month (I) ship
Security Secur- Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr.
(Instr. 3) ity Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4)
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Incentive Common
Stock Options $13.00 4/23/99* 4/23/08 Stock 2,500
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Common
$ 7.46875 4/21/01* 4/21/10 Stock 7,500
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Common
$ 7.188 5/01/01* 5/01/10 Stock 7,500
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Common
$11.10 4/28/02* 4/28/11 Stock 7,500
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Explanation of Responses:
*The options reported became 25% vested on the date indicated, and continue to
vest at 25% on each anniversary date thereafter until fully vested.
/s/William R. Sanderson May 20, 2002
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**Signature of Reporting Person Date
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.