EXHIBIT 24.1

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


     Each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints ROBERT D. RODGERS,
RICHARD M. FOWLER and JAMES R. McCRAW, and each of them, with full power of
substitution as the undersigned's attorney or attorney-in-fact, to sign for each
of them and in each of their names, as members of the Board of Directors, an
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 1997, and any and all
amendments, filed by TEXAS INDUSTRIES, INC., a Delaware corporation, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the provisions of the Securities Act of
1934, as amended, with full power and authority to do and perform any and all
acts and things necessary or appropriate to be done in the premises.

DATED:      July 16, 1997


                                      /s/  ROBERT ALPERT
                                      --------------------------------
                                           ROBERT ALPERT
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  GORDON E. FORWARD
                                      --------------------------------
                                           GORDON E. FORWARD
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  RICHARD I. GALLAND
                                      --------------------------------
                                           RICHARD I. GALLAND
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  GERALD R. HEFFERNAN
                                      --------------------------------
                                           GERALD R. HEFFERNAN
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  JAMES M. HOAK
                                      --------------------------------
                                           JAMES M. HOAK
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  RALPH B. ROGERS
                                      --------------------------------
                                           RALPH B. ROGERS
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  IAN WACHTMEISTER
                                      --------------------------------
                                           IAN WACHTMEISTER
                                           (Director)

                                      /s/  ELIZABETH C. WILLIAMS
                                      --------------------------------
                                           ELIZABETH C. WILLIAMS
                                           (Director)

STATE OF TEXAS        (S)
                      (S)
COUNTY OF DALLAS      (S)

     On this 16th day of July, 1997, before me personally came ROBERT ALPERT,
GORDON E. FORWARD, RICHARD I. GALLAND, GERALD R. HEFFERNAN, JAMES M. HOAK, RALPH
B. ROGERS, IAN WACHTMEISTER AND ELIZABETH C. WILLIAMS, known to me to be the
same persons described in and who executed the foregoing Power of Attorney and
each of them duly acknowledged to me that they each executed the same for the
purposes therein stated.



                                      /s/  GWYNN E. HERRICK
                                      --------------------------------
  [SEAL]                              Notary Public in and for the
                                       State of Texas