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                                                                      Exhibit 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints GORDON E.
FORWARD, RICHARD M. FOWLER and LARRY L. CLARK, 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, 1996, and any and all
amendments, filed by CHAPARRAL STEEL COMPANY, 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 11, 1996

                                        ----------------------------------
                                        ROBERT ALPERT
                                        (Director)

                                        ----------------------------------
                                        JOHN M. BELK
                                        (Director)

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

                                        /s/EUGENIO CLARIOND REYES
                                        ----------------------------------
                                        EUGENIO CLARIOND REYES
                                        (Director)

                                        /s/ROBERT D. ROGERS
                                        ----------------------------------
                                        ROBERT D. ROGERS
                                        (Director)

STATE OF TEXAS          (delta)
                        (delta)
COUNTY OF DALLAS        (delta)

                 On this 11th day of July, 1996, before me personally came
ROBERT ALPERT, JOHN M. BELK, GERALD R. HEFFERNAN, EUGENIO CLARIOND REYES AND
ROBERT D. ROGERS, 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.

                                            GWYNN E. HERRICK

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



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