================================================================================



                       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: February 26, 2001
                        (Date of earliest event reported)


                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


          Virginia                        1-652                   54-0414210
(State or Other Jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

           1501 North Hamilton Street
               Richmond, Virginia                          23230
    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)            (Zip Code)


          Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (804) 359-9311



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<PAGE>


Item 5.      Other Events.

         On February 26, 2001,  Universal  Leaf Tobacco  Company,  Incorporated,
J.P.  Taylor   Company,   Incorporated   and   Southwestern   Tobacco   Company,
Incorporated,  subsidiaries  of the Company (the  "Company  Subsidiaries")  were
served with the Third  Amended  Complaint,  naming  them and other leaf  tobacco
merchants as defendants in DeLoach, et al. v. Philip Morris Inc., et al., a suit
originally  filed  against U.S.  cigarette  manufacturers  in the United  States
District Court for the District of Columbia and now pending in the United States
District Court for the Middle  District of North Carolina,  Greensboro  Division
(Case No.  00-CV-1235)  (the  "DeLoach  Suit").  The DeLoach Suit is a purported
class action  brought on behalf of U.S.  tobacco  growers and quota holders that
alleges  that  defendants  violated  antitrust  laws by  bid-rigging  at tobacco
auctions and by  conspiring  to undermine  the tobacco  quota and price  support
program  administered  by the federal  government.  Plaintiffs  seek  injunctive
relief,  trebled  damages  in an  unspecified  amount,  pre-  and  post-judgment
interest,  attorneys'  fees and costs of  litigation.  The Company  Subsidiaries
intend to join with the motion to dismiss  previously  filed by the manufacturer
defendants and to otherwise vigorously defend the suit.



<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                         UNIVERSAL CORPORATION



Dated:  February 26, 2001                By: /s/ George C. Freeman, III
                                             --------------------------------
                                             George C. Freeman, III
                                             Secretary and General Counsel
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "UNIVERSAL CORP /VA/", "cik": "0000102037", "assigned-sic": "5150", "irs-number": "540414210", "state-of-incorporation": "VA", "fiscal-year-end": "0630"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-00652", "film-number": "1557931"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1501 NORTH HAMILTON STREET", "street2": "PO BOX 25099", "city": "RICHMOND", "state": "VA", "zip": "23230", "phone": "8043599311"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "PO BOX 25099", "city": "RICHMOND", "state": "VA", "zip": "23260"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "UNIVERSAL LEAF TOBACCO CO INC", "date-changed": "19880314"}}
================================================================================

                       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: February 26, 2001
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

          Virginia                        1-652                   54-0414210
(State or Other Jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

           1501 North Hamilton Street
               Richmond, Virginia                          23230
    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)            (Zip Code)

          Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (804) 359-9311

================================================================================
Item 5.      Other Events.

         On February 26, 2001,  Universal  Leaf Tobacco  Company,  Incorporated,
J.P.  Taylor   Company,   Incorporated   and   Southwestern   Tobacco   Company,
Incorporated,  subsidiaries  of the Company (the  "Company  Subsidiaries")  were
served with the Third  Amended  Complaint,  naming  them and other leaf  tobacco
merchants as defendants in DeLoach, et al. v. Philip Morris Inc., et al., a suit
originally  filed  against U.S.  cigarette  manufacturers  in the United  States
District Court for the District of Columbia and now pending in the United States
District Court for the Middle  District of North Carolina,  Greensboro  Division
(Case No.  00-CV-1235)  (the  "DeLoach  Suit").  The DeLoach Suit is a purported
class action  brought on behalf of U.S.  tobacco  growers and quota holders that
alleges  that  defendants  violated  antitrust  laws by  bid-rigging  at tobacco
auctions and by  conspiring  to undermine  the tobacco  quota and price  support
program  administered  by the federal  government.  Plaintiffs  seek  injunctive
relief,  trebled  damages  in an  unspecified  amount,  pre-  and  post-judgment
interest,  attorneys'  fees and costs of  litigation.  The Company  Subsidiaries
intend to join with the motion to dismiss  previously  filed by the manufacturer
defendants and to otherwise vigorously defend the suit.
SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                         UNIVERSAL CORPORATION

Dated:  February 26, 2001                By: /s/ George C. Freeman, III
                                             --------------------------------
                                             George C. Freeman, III
                                             Secretary and General Counsel