FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN 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 * Nelson Maurice S JR   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol JORGENSEN EARLE M CO /DE/ [JOR] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) President, CEO and COO (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O EARLE M. JORGENSEN COMPANY, 10650 ALAMEDA STREET 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 04/20/2005 (Street) LYNWOOD, CA 90262 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock               100 D   Common Stock 04/20/2005   J(1)(2)   4,172 A (1) (2) 4,172 (1) (2) I By Stock Bonus Plan

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Option (right to buy)

$ 3.0667

04/20/2005

J(1)(2)

1,693,538

04/20/2005

01/29/2009

Common Stock

1,693,538

(1) (2)

1,693,538

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Nelson Maurice S JR C/O EARLE M. JORGENSEN COMPANY 10650 ALAMEDA STREET LYNWOOD, CA 90262	X		President, CEO and COO

Signatures

/s/ William S. Johnson, as Attorney-in-Fact		04/20/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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)	Prior to the transaction reported on this form, Mr. Nelson owned (i) 3,992 shares of the common stock of Earle M. Jorgensen Holding Company, Inc. (the "Holding Common Stock"), 2 shares of Holding's series B preferred stock ("Holding Series B Preferred Stock"), and 1 share of Holding's 13% Cumulative Preferred Stock ("Holding Series A Preferred Stock") allocated to Mr. Nelson's stock bonus plan account, and (ii) fully vested options exercisable for 1,693,538 shares of the Holding Common Stock. Pursuant to a merger and financial restructuring that is exempt under Rule 16b-7, among other things, (a) each share of Holding Series A Preferred Stock was exchanged for $403.75 in cash and 41.29 shares of the Issuer's common stock, without giving effect to the holdback of shares in respect of the underwriters' over-allotment option, (continued in footnote 2)
(2)	(b) each share of Holding Series B Preferred Stock was exchanged for $494.38 in cash and 50.56 shares of the Issuer's common stock, without giving effect to the holdback of shares in respect of the underwriters' over-allotment option, and (c) each stock option that had been exercisable for shares of Holding Common Stock became exercisable for an equal number of shares of the Issuer's common stock at the same exercise prices and on the same terms and conditions as provided in the Holding stock option agreements and stock option plan.

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