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                                                                  EXHIBIT  24.1


                               POWERS OF ATTORNEY

   2

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Claire L. Arnold, hereby constitutes and appoints
John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, her true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for her and in her name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000             /s/ CLAIRE L. ARNOLD
                                                  ------------------------
                                                  Claire L. Arnold

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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Alan R. Batkin, hereby constitutes and appoints
John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ ALAN R. BATKIN
                                               ------------------------
                                               Alan R. Batkin

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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, K.C. Caldabaugh, hereby constitutes and appoints
John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ K.C. CALDABAUGH
                                               ------------------------
                                               K.C. Caldabaugh

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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Laurent G. Chambaz, hereby constitutes and
appoints John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ LAURENT G. CHAMBAZ
                                               ------------------------
                                               Laurent G. Chambaz

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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         The undersigned, Richard D. Jackson, hereby constitutes and appoints
John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ RICHARD D. JACKSON
                                               ------------------------
                                               Richard D. Jackson
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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Leonard J. Kujawa, hereby constitutes and
appoints John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ LEONARD J. KUJAWA
                                               ------------------------
                                               Leonard J. Kujawa

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                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Jean-Pierre Le Hetet, hereby constitutes and
appoints John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ JEAN-PIERRE LE HETET
                                               ------------------------
                                               Jean-Pierre Le Hetet

   9

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

             The undersigned, Larry B. Stillman, hereby constitutes and
appoints John W. Rumely, Jr. and Paul C. Roberts, or either of them, his true
and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Schweitzer-Mauduit
International, Inc. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, and any and
all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone,
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, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, or
his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.



Dated this 24th day of February, 2000          /s/ LARRY B. STILLMAN
                                               ------------------------
                                               Larry B. Stillman