Exhibit 99
                                First Banks, Inc.
                               St. Louis, Missouri


Contact:       Allen H. Blake                Terrance M. McCarthy
               President and                 Senior Executive Vice President and
               Chief Executive Officer       Chief Operating Officer
               First Banks, Inc.             First Banks, Inc.
               (314) 592-5000                (314) 592-5000

Traded:        NASDAQ
Symbol:        FBNKN  -  (First Preferred Capital Trust II,  an affiliated trust
                         of First Banks, Inc.)
               FBNKM  -  (First Preferred Capital Trust III, an affiliated trust
                         of First Banks, Inc.)

Traded:        NYSE
Symbol:        FBSPrA  - (First Preferred Capital Trust IV,  an affiliated trust
                         of First Banks, Inc.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                 FIRST BANKS, INC. ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF
                  STEVEN F. SCHEPMAN AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

         St. Louis, Missouri,  August 31, 2005. First Banks, Inc. ("First Banks"
or the  "Company")  announced  today the  appointment  of Steven F.  Schepman as
Senior Vice  President  and Chief  Financial  Officer of First Banks,  effective
August 29, 2005. Allen H. Blake,  President and Chief Executive Officer of First
Banks,  relinquished his role as the Chief Financial  Officer,  effective August
29, 2005.  Mr.  Blake,  a 20-year  veteran of First Banks,  held the position of
Chief Financial Officer from 1984 to September 1999 and since May 2001.

         Allen H. Blake,  President and Chief Executive  Officer of First Banks,
said,  "Steve will be a valuable  addition to First Banks' financial  management
function.  In addition to his  background  in accounting  and  auditing,  he has
managed  various  other areas within  First Banks.  This has provided him with a
unique  breadth of  experience  and knowledge of the Company to bring to his new
responsibilities. We look forward to working with him in his new capacity."

         Steven F. Schepman,  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial  Officer
of First  Banks,  said,  "I'm  looking  forward to playing a broader role within
First  Banks as we  continue  our long term  plan of being a  premier  financial
services organization that is family owned and here to stay."

         Mr.  Schepman  has served as a Director  of First Banks since July 2004
and most recently  served as Senior Vice  President of Private  Banking,  Wealth
Management  and Trust  Services  of First  Bank,  a  position  he has held since
November 2000. In this role, Mr.  Schepman was  responsible for the oversight of
the  Company's  brokerage,  trust,  insurance and private  banking  products and
services.  Mr.  Schepman  also served as a Director of First Banks' wholly owned
subsidiary  bank,  First  Bank,  from April 2001 to October  2004,  and has been
employed in various other senior  management  capacities  with the Company since
May 1999.

         Mr.  Schepman  received  his  Bachelor  of Science  degree in  Business
Administration from the University of Richmond, in Richmond,  Virginia,  and his
certified public accountant  certification from the state of California in 1998.
Prior to joining First Banks, he was a certified public accountant with KPMG LLP
in San Francisco, California, where he was employed in various capacities within
the Financial  Services  Audit  Practice from August 1997 to March 1999. He also
served as a  Consultant  with Price  Waterhouse  LLP from  January 1996 to March
1997. A native of St. Louis,  Mr. Schepman is a member of the Board of Directors
of  Forest  Park   Forever  and  active  in  other   philanthropic   and  social
organizations.

         In  his  role  as  Chief  Financial  Officer,   Mr.  Schepman  will  be
responsible  for overseeing the Accounting and Finance  functions of First Banks
and actively  participating in the strategic  planning,  corporate direction and
growth of the Company, in addition to ensuring the Company's compliance with the
Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002.


         First Banks is one of the largest privately-held bank holding companies
in the United States,  with  headquarters in St. Louis County,  Missouri.  As of
June 30, 2005,  First Banks  reported  consolidated  assets of $8.78 billion and
currently operates 170 branch banking offices in Missouri, Illinois,  California
and Texas.

                                      # # #

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but
are not limited to, statements about First Banks' plans,  objectives,  estimates
or  projections  with  respect to our future  financial  condition,  expected or
anticipated revenues with respect to our results of operations and our business,
expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical  facts.
Such  statements are based upon the current  beliefs and  expectations  of First
Banks' management and are subject to significant  risks and uncertainties  which
may cause actual results to differ  materially  from those  contemplated  in the
forward-looking  statements.  The following factors,  among others,  could cause
actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements:
increased  competition  and  its  effect  on  pricing,   spending,   third-party
relationships  and  revenues;  and  the  risk of new  and  changing  regulation.
Additional  factors  which may cause First Banks'  results to differ  materially
from those  described in the  forward-looking  statements  may be found in First
Banks' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent  Quarterly  Reports
on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission  ("SEC") and
available at the SEC's internet site  (http://www.sec.gov).  The forward-looking
statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release,
and First  Banks does not assume any  obligation  to update the  forward-looking
statements  or to update the reasons why actual  results could differ from those
contained in the forward-looking statements.