POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature 
appears below constitutes and appoints Clyde R. Moore, Jerry Kronenberg, Fred 
R. Jones, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney and agent, 
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his 
or her name, to sign the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Thomas & Betts 
Corporation for the year 1997, and any and all amendments and exhibits 
thereto, and to file the same and any other documents in connection 
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said 
attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each 
and every act necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he 
or she could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said 
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their substitutes, may 
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.


     SIGNATURE                     TITLE                            DATE
     ---------                     -----                            ----

/s/ CLYDE R. MOORE        President, Chief Executive            March 4, 1997
Clyde R. Moore            Officer and Director


/s/ FRED R. JONES         Vice President-Finance and            March 4, 1997
Fred R. Jones             Treasurer


/s/ JERRY KRONENBERG      Vice President-General Counsel        March 4, 1997
Jerry Kronenberg


/s/ T. KEVIN DUNNIGAN     Chairman of the Board                 March 4, 1997
T. Kevin Dunnigan        


_____________________     Director                               
Ernest H. Drew  


/s/ JEANANNE K. HAUSWALD  Director                              March 4, 1997
Jeananne K. Hauswald 


_____________________     Director                                     
Thomas W. Jones      




/s/ ROBERT A. KENKEL      Director                              March 4, 1997
Robert A. Kenkel 


/s/ JOHN N. LEMASTERS     Director                              March 4, 1997
John N. Lemasters


_____________________     Director                                     
Kenneth R. Masterson


_____________________     Director                                     
Thomas C. McDermott


/s/ JEAN-PAUL RICHARD     Director                              March 4, 1997
Jean-Paul Richard


/s/ IAN M. ROSS           Director                              March 4, 1997
Ian M. Ross 


/s/ WILLIAM H. WALTRIP    Director                              March 4, 1997
William H. Waltrip