FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES 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(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Hooper Max D 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 12/01/2005 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol AIRGAS INC [ARG] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O AIRGAS, INC., 259 N. RADNOR-CHESTER ROAD, SUITE 100 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Division President-West 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) RADNOR, PA 19087 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 5,326 (1) D   Common Stock 403 (2) I By 401(k) Plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (3)	07/01/2006	Common Stock	2,000	$ 19.25	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (3)	05/16/2010	Common Stock	2,945	$ 5.5	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (3)	05/08/2011	Common Stock	5,500	$ 8.99	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (4)	05/06/2012	Common Stock	11,800	$ 16.52	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (5)	05/12/2013	Common Stock	10,900	$ 19.22	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (6)	05/25/2014	Common Stock	9,900	$ 21.15	D	Â
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	  (7)	05/24/2015	Common Stock	10,300	$ 24.09	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hooper Max D C/O AIRGAS, INC. 259 N. RADNOR-CHESTER ROAD, SUITE 100 RADNOR, PA 19087	Â	Â	  Division President-West	Â

Signatures

Max Hooper		02/28/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Includes 5,326 shares of Airgas, Inc. common stock acquired pursuant to Airgas, Inc.'s Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") as of 12/1/05, the date of the latest available statement of the reporting person's ESPP holdings.
(2)	The information presented is as of 12/1/2005, the date of the latest available statment of the reporting person's holdings of Airgas, Inc. common stock in his 401(k) plan.
(3)	These options are fully exercisable.
(4)	These options have or will become exercisable, as applicable, in 25% annual increments on each of 5/6/2003, 5/6/2004, 5/6/2005 and 5/6/2006.
(5)	These options have or will become exercisable, as applicable, in 25% annual increments on each of 5/12/2004, 5/12/2005, 5/12/2006 and 5/12/2007.
(6)	These options have or will become exercisable, as applicable, in 25% annual increments on each of 5/25/2005, 5/25/2006, 5/25/2007 and 5/25/2008.
(7)	These options will become exercisable in 25% annual increments on each of 5/24/2006, 5/24/2007, 5/24/2008 and 5/24/2009.

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