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                                                                   Exhibit 24(b)



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                -----------------


                  The undersigned, The Gorman-Rupp Company, an Ohio corporation
(the "Company"), by the undersigned officer of the Company hereunto duly
authorized, hereby appoints Jeffrey S. Gorman, Robert E. Kirkendall and Anthony
R. Moore, and each of them, as attorneys for the Company, with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for and in its name, place and stead, to sign
and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, one or more Registration Statements on Form S-8 (or such other
form as counsel to the Company may advise as appropriate) for the purpose of
registering (i) the Common Shares of the Company to be offered under the
Company's Individual Profit Sharing Retirement Plan, and (ii) an indeterminate
amount of interests in such Plan that are separate securities, and any and all
supplements, amendments (including post-effective amendments), exhibits and
consents to any such Registration Statements, and any and all applications or
other documents to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
pertaining to such Registration Statements or the securities covered thereby,
and to take any and all other action that any of them may deem necessary or
advisable in order to effect the registration, qualification or exemption of
part or all of the Common Shares of the Company or interest in such Plan, to be
offered under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction of the United
States of America or Canada, with full power and authority to do and perform any
and all acts whatsoever necessary or advisable.


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                  Executed this 2nd day of December, 1999.

                                  THE GORMAN-RUPP COMPANY



                                  By /s/Robert E. Kirkendall
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                                     Robert E. Kirkendall,
                                     Vice President -- Corporate Development &
                                     Secretary