POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                      
                                      
Each of the undersigned, being a director or officer, or both, of GAYLORD 
CONTAINER CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"), does hereby 
constitute and appoint each of Marvin A. Pomerantz and Daniel P. Casey as his 
true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all 
capacities, to sign the Corporation's Form 10-K for the Corporation's 1997 
fiscal year and to file same, together with all exhibits thereto and other 
attachments and documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, the American Stock Exchange and any other regulatory 
authority, and to sign, file or deliver such further documents and to take 
such further actions in connection therewith as each of the undersigned might
or could do in person and as each such attorney and agent deems necessary or 
desirable; and each of the undersigned does hereby fully ratify and confirm all
that said attorneys and agents, or any of them, or the substitute of any of 
them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.


          Signature                                                       Title 
          
/s/ Marvin A. Pomerantz          Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
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Marvin A. Pomerantz                               (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ Daniel P. Casey                                    Executive Vice President
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Daniel P. Casey                                   (Principal Financial Officer)


/s/ Jeffrey B. Park                         Vice President-Corporate Controller
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Jeffrey B. Park                                   (Principal Accounting Officer)


/s/ Mary Sue Coleman                                                   Director
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Mary Sue Coleman


/s/ Harve A. Ferrill                                                   Director
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Harve A. Ferrill


/s/ John E. Goodenow                                                   Director
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John E. Goodenow


/s/ David B. Hawkins                                                   Director
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David B. Hawkins


/s/ John Hawkinson                                                     Director
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John Hawkinson  


/s/ Warren J. Hayford                                                  Director
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Warren J. Hayford


/s/ Charles S. Johnson                                                 Director
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Charles S. Johnson


/s/ Richard S. Levitt                                                  Director
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Richard S. Levitt


/s/ Ralph L. MacDonald, Jr.                                            Director
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Ralph L. MacDonald, Jr.


/s/ Thomas H. Stoner                                                   Director
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Thomas H. Stoner