--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      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: December 20, 2000
                       (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 December  20,  2000,  the  plaintiffs  in Deloach,  et al. v. Philip
Morris  Companies  Inc.,  et al.,  following  the  transfer of the suit from the
United States  District  Court for the District of Columbia to the United States
District Court for the Middle  District of North Carolina,  Greensboro  Division
(Case No.  00-CV-1235)  (the "Deloach  Suit") filed a motion for leave to file a
third  amended  complaint  to add as named  defendants  Universal  Leaf  Tobacco
Company,  Incorporated,  J.P.  Taylor  Company,  Inc. and  Southwestern  Tobacco
Company,  Inc.,  (collectively,  the  "Company  Subsidiaries")  subsidiaries  of
Universal  Corporation  and other leaf  tobacco  merchants  as  defendants.  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. If the
Company  Subsidiaries become defendants,  they 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


Date: January 8, 2001          By:   /s/ George C. Freeman, III
                                    ---------------------------------
                                    George C. Freeman, III
                                    Assistant Secretary
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "0001.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 3461}]
{"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": "1503595"}, "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: December 20, 2000
                       (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 December  20,  2000,  the  plaintiffs  in Deloach,  et al. v. Philip
Morris  Companies  Inc.,  et al.,  following  the  transfer of the suit from the
United States  District  Court for the District of Columbia to the United States
District Court for the Middle  District of North Carolina,  Greensboro  Division
(Case No.  00-CV-1235)  (the "Deloach  Suit") filed a motion for leave to file a
third  amended  complaint  to add as named  defendants  Universal  Leaf  Tobacco
Company,  Incorporated,  J.P.  Taylor  Company,  Inc. and  Southwestern  Tobacco
Company,  Inc.,  (collectively,  the  "Company  Subsidiaries")  subsidiaries  of
Universal  Corporation  and other leaf  tobacco  merchants  as  defendants.  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. If the
Company  Subsidiaries become defendants,  they 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

Date: January 8, 2001          By:   /s/ George C. Freeman, III
                                    ---------------------------------
                                    George C. Freeman, III
                                    Assistant Secretary