Exhibit 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

   Each of the undersigned, being a director and/or officer of BB&T Corporation
(the "Company"), hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints John A. Allison IV,
Scott E. Reed and Jerone C. Herring, or any one of them severally, to be his or
her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and to sign in his or her name and on his
or her behalf in any and all capacities stated below, and to file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), a Registration Statement
on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the issuance of shares
of the Company's common stock, $5.00 par value per share, in connection with
the acquisition by the Company of Mid-America Bancorp, a Kentucky corporation,
and to file any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to the
Registration Statement (and to file any subsequent registration statement
pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which
relates to the Registration Statement), making such changes in the Registration
Statement as such attorney-in-fact deems appropriate, and generally to do all
such things on his or her behalf in any and all capacities stated below to
enable the Company to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and all requirements of the Commission.

   This Power of Attorney has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on December 18, 2001.

    /s/ John A. Allison                         /s/ Scott E. Reed
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   John A. Allison, IV               Name:   Scott E. Reed
Title:  Chairman of the Board and         Title:  Senior Executive Vice
        Chief Executive Officer                   President and Chief
        (principal executive                      Financial Officer (principal
        officer)                                  financial officer)

    /s/ Sherry A. Kellett                       /s/ Nelle Ratrie Chilton
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Sherry A. Kellett                 Name:   Nelle Ratrie Chilton
Title:  Executive Vice President and      Title:  Director
        Controller (principal
        accounting officer)

    /s/ Alfred E. Cleveland
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Alfred E. Cleveland               Name:   Ronald E. Deal
Title:  Director                          Title:  Director

    /s/ Tom D. Efird                            /s/ Paul S. Goldsmith
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Tom D. Efird                      Name:   Paul S. Goldsmith
Title:  Director                          Title:  Director

    /s/ L. Vincent Hackley                      /s/ Jane P. Helm
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   L. Vincent Hackley                Name:   Jane P. Helm
Title:  Director                          Title:  Director

    /s/ Richard Janeway, M.D.                   /s/ J. Ernest Lathem, M.D.
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name: Richard Janeway, M.D.               Name:   J. Ernest Lathem, M.D.
Title:  Director                          Title:  Director

    /s/ James H. Maynard
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   James H. Maynard                  Name:   Joseph A. McAleer, Jr.
Title:  Director                          Title:  Director


    /s/ Albert O. McCauley                      /s/ J. Holmes Morrison
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Albert O. McCauley                Name:  J. Holmes Morrison
Title:  Director                          Title: Director

    /s/ Richard L. Player, Jr.                  /s/ C. Edward Pleasants, Jr.
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Richard L. Player, Jr.            Name:  C. Edward Pleasants, Jr.
Title:  Director                          Title: Director

    /s/ Nido R. Qubein                          /s/ E. Rhone Sasser
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Nido R. Qubein                    Name:  E. Rhone Sasser
Title:  Director                          Title: Director

    /s/ Jack E. Shaw                            /s/ Harold B. Wells
_____________________________________     _____________________________________
Name:   Jack E. Shaw                      Name:  Harold B. Wells
Title:  Director                          Title: Director