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                                                            EXHIBIT 24


                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                  -----------------

     Each of the undersigned Directors and Officers of CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATION (the "Company") hereby constitutes and appoints STEPHEN B. BROWN,
LAWRENCE A. FOX and RICHARD E. OLSON his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-
fact and agents, each of them with full power to act without the others, for him
or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to
sign the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 1996 and any and all amendments and other documents relating thereto, and to
file such Annual Report on Form 10-K and such amendments with all exhibits
thereto, and any and all other information and documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, hereby granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform any and all acts and things requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might
or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-
in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have hereunto set their hands as of the
27th day of March, 1997.


/s/ RICHARD E. OLSON                 /s/ KENWOOD C. NICHOLS
--------------------                 ------------------------
Richard E. Olson                     Kenwood C. Nichols
Chairman of the Board, Chief         Vice Chairman and Executive Officer
Executive Officer and Director       and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)        (Principal Accounting Officer)



                                      /s/FRANK KNEISEL
                                      ----------------------
                                      Frank Kneisel
                                      Senior Vice President - Finance
                                      (Principal Financial Officer)
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/s/LAWRENCE A. BOSSIDY                         /s/SYBIL C. MOBLEY
---------------------------------------        ------------------------------
Lawrence A. Bossidy, Director                  Sybil C. Mobley, Director



/s/ROBERT A. CHARPIE                           /s/LAWRENCE G. RAWL
-------------------------------------------    -------------------------------
Robert A. Charpie, Director                    Lawrence G. Rawl, Director



/s/H. CORBIN DAY                              /s/WALTER V. SHIPLEY
-------------------------------------         --------------------------------
H. Corbin Day                                 Walter V. Shipley



/S/ALICE F. EMERSON                           /s/RICHARD E. WALTON
------------------------------------          -------------------------------
Alice F. Emerson, Director                    Richard E. Walton, Director



/s/ALLAN E. GOTLIEB                              /s/JOHN L. WEINBERG
---------------------------------------------    ------------------------------
Allan E. Gotlieb, Director                       John L. Weinberg, Director