Exhibit 24.1

                         POWER OF ATTORNEY OF DIRECTORS
                                        
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

          Each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints BURTON E.
BROOME and CHRISTOPHER M. MCLAIN, and each of them with power to act alone, his
or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign (either manually or by use of said
person's "Personal Identification Number" issued by the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission) a Registration Statement or Registration Statements on
Form S-8 relating to 7,500,000 shares of common stock of Transamerica
Corporation issuable under the 1985 Stock Option and Award Plan of Transamerica
Corporation, and any and all amendments of such Registration Statements,
including post-effective amendments, and to file the same, together with
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each such attorney-in-fact
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises hereof, as fully to
all intents and purposes as he or she might do or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his or her
substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

          Executed on the 24th day of January, 1991.

 
/s/ Glenn A. Cramer                     /s/ Gordon E. Moore
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Glenn A. Cramer                         Gordon E. Moore


/s/ Myron Du Bain                       /s/ Raymond F. O'Brien
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Myron Du Bain                           Raymond F. O'Brien


/s/ Sam Ginn                            /s/ Charles R. Schwab
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Sam Ginn                                Charles R. Schwab


/s/ James R. Harvey                     /s/ Forrest N. Shumway
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James R. Harvey                         Forrest N. Shumway


/s/ Frank C. Herringer                  /s/ Peter V. Ueberroth
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Frank C. Herringer                      Peter V. Ueberroth

 
/s/ Howard J. Korth
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Howard J. Korth


/s/ Mary E. Lanigar
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Mary E. Lanigar