Exhibit 24
                                
                                
                        POWER OF ATTORNEY


     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the
undersigned Directors of Aluminum Company of America (the
"Company") hereby constitutes and appoints RICHARD B. KELSON,
EARNEST J. EDWARDS and DENIS A. DEMBLOWSKI, or any of them, his
or her true and lawful attorneys and agents to do any and all
acts and things and execute any and all instruments which said
attorneys and agents, or any of them, may deem necessary or
advisable or may be required to enable the Company to comply
with the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and any
rules, regulations or requirements of the Securities and
Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the
registration under said Act of shares of common stock of the
Company to be issued and distributed pursuant to the stock
options issued under Alumax Inc. benefit plans or any successor
plans, including specifically, but without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, power and authority to sign the
name of each of the undersigned Directors of the Company in the
capacity of Director thereof to any registration statement to be
filed with the Securities Exchange Commission in respect of said
plans or successor plans and shares of common stock, or either
of them, to any and all pre-effective amendments, post-effective
amendments and supplements to any such registration statement,
and to any instruments or documents filed as part of or in
connection with any such registration statement or pre-effective
amendments or post-effective amendments or supplements thereto;
and the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms all that said
attorneys and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have subscribed these
presents on the date set opposite their names below.



/s/Kenneth W. Dam     7/10/98     /s/John P. Mulroney    7/10/98
Kenneth W. Dam                    John P. Mulroney


/s/Joseph T. Gorman   7/10/98     /s/Henry B. Schacht    7/10/98
Joseph T. Gorman                  Henry B. Schacht


/s/Judith M. Gueron   7/10/98     /s/Franklin A. Thomas  7/10/98
Judith M. Gueron                  Franklin A. Thomas


/s/Sir Ronald Hampel  7/10/98     /s/Marina v.N. Whitman 7/10/98
Sir Ronald Hampel                  Marina v.N. Whitman


/s/Hugh M. Morgan     7/10/98
Hugh M. Morgan