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                                                                      EXHIBIT 24


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


          KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned directors
and officers of BRUSH WELLMAN INC., an Ohio corporation (the "Corporation"),
hereby constitutes and appoints Gordon D. Harnett, Michael C. Hasychak and David
Porter, and each of them, their true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact,
with full power of substitution and revocation, for them and in their names,
place and stead, to sign on their behalf as a director or officer, or both, as
the case may be, of the Corporation, an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13 or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1999, and to sign any and all amendments to such Annual
Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in
connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission granting unto
said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, 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 they
might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their substitute or substitutes,
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have hereunto set their hands as
of the 7th day of March, 2000.


/s/ Gordon D. Harnett                        /s/ Joseph P. Keithley
- ---------------------------------------      -----------------------------
Gordon D. Harnett, Chairman, President,      Joseph P. Keithley, Director
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ Albert C. Bersticker                     /s/ William P. Madar
- -------------------------------              -------------------------------
Albert C. Bersticker, Director               William P. Madar, Director


/s/ Charles F. Brush, III                    /s/ Robert M. McInnes
- -------------------------------              -------------------------------
Charles F. Brush, III, Director              Robert M. McInnes, Director


/s/ David L. Burner                          /s/ William R. Robertson
- ---------------------------                  -------------------------------
David L. Burner, Director                    William R. Robertson, Director


/s/ David H. Hoag                            /s/ John Sherwin, Jr.
- ---------------------------                  -------------------------------
David H. Hoag, Director                      John Sherwin, Jr., Director


/s/ John D. Grampa
- ---------------------------------------
John D. Grampa, Vice President Finance,
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)