The election of John J. McMullen to the board of Walter Kidde & Co., Inc., has been announced. He will continue as president and chief executive of the United States Lines Company, which was merged with Kidde recently.

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Mr. McMullen holds a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He is a former United States Navy officer, who has also served as chief of The Office of Ship Construction and Repairs of the U.S. Maritime Administration.