EXHIBIT 24
                           POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That I, the undersigned, a director
of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation ("The St.
Paul"), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and
Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with
full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2000, to be filed by The St. Paul with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and any amendments thereto, and
shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed
the Form 10-K or amendments.

Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ H. Furlong Baldwin
       ----------------                       ----------------------
                                   Name:          H. Furlong Baldwin


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ John H. Dasburg
       ----------------                       -------------------
                                   Name:          John H. Dasburg


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ W. John Driscoll
       ----------------                       --------------------
                                   Name:          W. John Driscoll


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Kenneth M. Duberstein
       ----------------                       -------------------------
                                   Name:          Kenneth M. Duberstein


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Pierson M. Grieve
       ----------------                       ---------------------
                                   Name:          Pierson M. Grieve


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Thomas R. Hodgson
       ----------------                       ---------------------
                                   Name:          Thomas R. Hodgson


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ David G. John
       ----------------                       -----------------
                                   Name:          David G. John


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ William H. Kling
       ----------------                       --------------------
                                   Name:          William H. Kling


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Bruce K. MacLaury
       ----------------                       ---------------------
                                   Name:          Bruce K. MacLaury


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Glen D. Nelson
       ----------------                       ------------------
                                   Name:          Glen D. Nelson


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Anita M. Pampusch
       ----------------                       ---------------------
                                   Name:          Anita M. Pampusch


Dated: February 6, 2001            Signature: /s/ Gordon M. Sprenger
       ----------------                       ----------------------
                                   Name:          Gordon M. Sprenger