<PAGE>

                                                           Registration No. 333-

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                OLIN CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

<TABLE>
<S>                                                                 <C>
                   Virginia                                                    13-1872319
                   --------                                                    ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)     (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

501 Merritt 7, Norwalk, Connecticut                                               06851
-----------------------------------                                               -----
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                                        (Zip Code)
</TABLE>

                   MONARCH BRASS & COPPER CORP. DEFERRAL PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                               J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                         Vice President, General Counsel
                                  and Secretary
                                Olin Corporation
                                  501 Merritt 7
                           Norwalk, Connecticut 06851
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  203-750-3126
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            Proposed Maximum
                                                            ----------------
Title of Securities to be         Amount to be        Offering Price   Aggregate              Amount of
Registered                        registered (1)      Per Share (2)    Offering Price (2)     Registration Fee
<S>                               <C>                 <C>              <C>                    <C>
Common Stock (par value $1.00     500,000             $15.20           $7,600,000.00          $1,900.00
per share)

Participating Cumulative            (3)                 (3)               (3)                    (3)
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
</TABLE>

      (1) This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
Common Stock which become issuable under the Plan by reason of any stock
dividend or stock split or as the result of other anti-dilution provisions in
the Plan.

      (2) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the amount of the
registration fee, pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h), based upon the average of the
high and low prices reported for the Common Stock on October 22, 2001, on the
New York Stock Exchange consolidated reporting system.

      (3) The rights are attached to the Common Stock pursuant to the Rights
Agreement dated as of February 27, 1996, between Olin Corporation and Chemical
Mellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. The value attributable to the rights, if
any, is reflected in the value of the Common Stock and the registration fee for
the rights is included in the fee for the Common Stock.

<PAGE>

                                     Part II

Item 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
          ---------------------------------------

          The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file
with them, which means:

          -   incorporated documents are considered part of the prospectus;

          -   we can disclose important information to you by referring you to
              those documents; and

          -   information that we file with the SEC will automatically update
              and supersede this incorporated information.

          We incorporate by reference the documents listed below which were
filed with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

          (a) Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
              31, 2000.

          (b) The description of our Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share,
              contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
              ended September 30, 1991.

          (c) The description of the Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred
              Stock Purchase Rights contained in our Form 8-A dated February 21,
              1996.

          (d) Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the fiscal quarters
              ended March 31, 2001 and June 30, 2001.

          (e) Our periodic report on Form 8-K filed October 2, 2001.

          We also incorporate by reference each of the following documents that
we will file with the SEC after the date of this registration statement until
this offering is completed:

          -   reports filed under Section 13(a) and (c) of the Securities
              Exchange Act of 1934;

          -   definitive proxy or information statements filed under Section 14
              of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connection with any
              subsequent stockholders' meeting; and

          -   any reports filed under Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
              Act of 1934.

Item 4.   DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
          -------------------------

          Not applicable; the class of securities to be offered is registered
under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

<PAGE>

Item 5.   INTEREST OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL
          -------------------------------------

          The validity of the newly issued shares of Common Stock of the Company
will be passed upon by J.M. Jackson, Jr., Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary. Mr. Jackson owns shares of the Company directly, and through various
employee benefit plans, and has options to purchase shares.

Item 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
          -----------------------------------------

          The Virginia Stock Corporation Act permits indemnification of the
Company's directors, officers and employees in a variety of circumstances. Under
Sections 13.1-697 and 13.1-702 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, a Virginia
corporation generally is authorized to indemnify its directors, officers and
employees in civil or criminal actions if they acted in good faith and believed
their conduct to be in the best interests of the corporation. In the case of
criminal actions, directors, officers or employees will be indemnified if they
had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful. The Act also
provides mandatory indemnification in Section 13.1-698 for a director against
expenses incurred in the successful defense of a proceeding. Under Section
13.1-704 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, a Virginia corporation is
permitted to grant further indemnity to its directors, officers and employees as
may be authorized by the articles of incorporation or any bylaw or resolution
adopted by its shareholders unless those persons engaged in willful misconduct
or a knowing violation of the criminal law. The Company's By-laws require
indemnification of directors, officers and employees with respect to certain
liabilities, expenses and other amounts imposed upon them by reason of having
been directors, officers or employees unless they engaged in willful misconduct
or a knowing violation of the criminal law. The Company's Board of Directors, or
under certain circumstances, legal counsel make the determination of whether a
director, officer or employee met the standard of conduct required for
indemnification. Section 13.1-692.1 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act
permits a Virginia corporation to limit or totally eliminate the liability of a
director or officer for monetary damages in a shareholder or derivative
proceeding unless that director or officer engaged in willful misconduct or a
knowing violation of the criminal law or securities laws. The Company's By-laws
contain a provision intended to eliminate such liability.

          Directors and officers of the Company are insured, subject to certain
exclusions and limits and to the extent not otherwise indemnified by the
Company, against loss (including expenses incurred in the defense of actions,
suits and proceedings in connection therewith) arising from any error,
misstatement, misleading statement, omission or other act made or performed in
their capacity as directors and officers. The policies also reimburse the
Company for liability incurred in the indemnification of its directors and
officers under common or statutory laws or the Company's By-laws, subject to the
terms, conditions and exclusions of such policies. In addition, directors,
officers and other employees of the Company who may be "fiduciaries" as that
term is used in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 are insured
with respect to liabilities under the Act.

<PAGE>

Item 7.   EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED
          -----------------------------------

          Not applicable.

Item 8.   EXHIBITS
          --------

          The Exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the Exhibit
Index to this Registration Statement, which Index is incorporated herein by
reference.

Item 9.   UNDERTAKINGS
          ------------

          (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

              1.  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

                  (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a) (3)
                         of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                         arising after the effective date of the registration
                         statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                         thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                         represent a fundamental change in the information set
                         forth in the registration statement; provided that,
                         notwithstanding the foregoing any increase or decrease
                         in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar
                         value of securities offered would not exceed that which
                         was registered) and any deviation from the low or high
                         end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
                         reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
                         Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the
                         aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no
                         more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate
                         offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
                         Registration Fee" table in the effective registration
                         statement; and

                  (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
                         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                         registration statement or any material change to such
                         information in the registration statement;

                         provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) above
                         do not apply if the registration statement is on Form
                         S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required to be
                         included in a post-effective amendment by those
                         paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with
                         or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant
                         pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                         Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
                         in the registration statement.

<PAGE>

                2.  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                    Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                    shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
                    to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                    securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
                    bona fide offering thereof.

                3.  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                    amendment any of the securities being registered which
                    remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

            (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of
the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

            (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions referred to under Item 6,
or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy
as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In
the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

         Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
         ----------
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Norwalk, State of Connecticut, on October 26,
2001.

                                           OLIN CORPORATION

                                           By:      /s/ J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                                           Title:   Vice President, General
                                                    Counsel and Secretary

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We the undersigned officers and directors of Olin Corporation, hereby
severally constitute and appoint Johnnie M. Jackson, Jr., Peter C. Kosche and
Anthony W. Ruggiero, and each of them singly, our true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, with full power to them in any and all capacities, to sign
any and all amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (including any
post-effective amendments thereto), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said
attorneys-in-fact may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                 Signature               Title                                                Date
                 ---------               -----                                                ----
<S>                                      <C>                                             <C>
/s/ Donald W. Griffin                    Chairman of the Board, President, Chief         October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
Donald W. Griffin                        Executive Officer and Director
                                         (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Anthony W. Ruggiero                  Executive Vice President, Chief Financial       October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
Anthony W. Ruggiero                      Officer and Director (Principal Financial
                                         Officer)

/s/ William W. Higgins                   Director                                        October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
William W. Higgins
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signature                                   Title                                    Date
---------                                   -----                                    ----
<S>                                         <C>                                 <C>
/s/ Randall W. Larrimore                    Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Randall W. Larrimore

/s/ Stephen F. Page                         Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Stephen F. Page

/s/ G. Jackson Ratcliffe, Jr.               Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
G. Jackson Ratcliffe, Jr.

/s/ Richard M. Rompala                      Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Richard M. Rompala

/s/ Mary E. Gallagher                       Vice President and Controller       October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Mary E. Gallagher                           (Principal Accounting Officer)
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT       DESCRIPTION

5             Opinion of Counsel.

23.1          Consent of Independent Auditor

23.2          Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5)
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "ds8.txt", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 19003}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "OLIN CORP", "cik": "0000074303", "assigned-sic": "2800", "irs-number": "131872319", "state-of-incorporation": "VA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-72244", "film-number": "1767023"}, "business-address": {"street1": "501 MERRITT 7", "street2": "P O BOX 4500", "city": "NORWALK", "state": "CT", "zip": "06856", "phone": "2037503000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "OLIN CORP", "street2": "501 MERRITT 7 PO BOX 4500", "city": "NORWALK", "state": "CT", "zip": "06851"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "OLIN MATHIESON CHEMICAL CORP", "date-changed": "19691008"}}
Registration No. 333-

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                OLIN CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Virginia                                                    13-1872319
                   --------                                                    ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)     (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

501 Merritt 7, Norwalk, Connecticut                                               06851
-----------------------------------                                               -----
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                                        (Zip Code)
MONARCH BRASS & COPPER CORP. DEFERRAL PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                               J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                         Vice President, General Counsel
                                  and Secretary
                                Olin Corporation
                                  501 Merritt 7
                           Norwalk, Connecticut 06851
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  203-750-3126
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed Maximum
                                                            ----------------
Title of Securities to be         Amount to be        Offering Price   Aggregate              Amount of
Registered                        registered (1)      Per Share (2)    Offering Price (2)     Registration Fee
Common Stock (par value $1.00     500,000             $15.20           $7,600,000.00          $1,900.00
per share)

Participating Cumulative            (3)                 (3)               (3)                    (3)
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
(1) This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
Common Stock which become issuable under the Plan by reason of any stock
dividend or stock split or as the result of other anti-dilution provisions in
the Plan.

      (2) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the amount of the
registration fee, pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h), based upon the average of the
high and low prices reported for the Common Stock on October 22, 2001, on the
New York Stock Exchange consolidated reporting system.

      (3) The rights are attached to the Common Stock pursuant to the Rights
Agreement dated as of February 27, 1996, between Olin Corporation and Chemical
Mellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. The value attributable to the rights, if
any, is reflected in the value of the Common Stock and the registration fee for
the rights is included in the fee for the Common Stock.
Part II

Item 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
          ---------------------------------------

          The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file
with them, which means:

          -   incorporated documents are considered part of the prospectus;

          -   we can disclose important information to you by referring you to
              those documents; and

          -   information that we file with the SEC will automatically update
              and supersede this incorporated information.

          We incorporate by reference the documents listed below which were
filed with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

          (a) Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
              31, 2000.

          (b) The description of our Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share,
              contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
              ended September 30, 1991.

          (c) The description of the Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred
              Stock Purchase Rights contained in our Form 8-A dated February 21,
              1996.

          (d) Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the fiscal quarters
              ended March 31, 2001 and June 30, 2001.

          (e) Our periodic report on Form 8-K filed October 2, 2001.

          We also incorporate by reference each of the following documents that
we will file with the SEC after the date of this registration statement until
this offering is completed:

          -   reports filed under Section 13(a) and (c) of the Securities
              Exchange Act of 1934;

          -   definitive proxy or information statements filed under Section 14
              of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connection with any
              subsequent stockholders' meeting; and

          -   any reports filed under Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
              Act of 1934.

Item 4.   DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
          -------------------------

          Not applicable; the class of securities to be offered is registered
under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Item 5.   INTEREST OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL
          -------------------------------------

          The validity of the newly issued shares of Common Stock of the Company
will be passed upon by J.M. Jackson, Jr., Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary. Mr. Jackson owns shares of the Company directly, and through various
employee benefit plans, and has options to purchase shares.

Item 6.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
          -----------------------------------------

          The Virginia Stock Corporation Act permits indemnification of the
Company's directors, officers and employees in a variety of circumstances. Under
Sections 13.1-697 and 13.1-702 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, a Virginia
corporation generally is authorized to indemnify its directors, officers and
employees in civil or criminal actions if they acted in good faith and believed
their conduct to be in the best interests of the corporation. In the case of
criminal actions, directors, officers or employees will be indemnified if they
had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful. The Act also
provides mandatory indemnification in Section 13.1-698 for a director against
expenses incurred in the successful defense of a proceeding. Under Section
13.1-704 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, a Virginia corporation is
permitted to grant further indemnity to its directors, officers and employees as
may be authorized by the articles of incorporation or any bylaw or resolution
adopted by its shareholders unless those persons engaged in willful misconduct
or a knowing violation of the criminal law. The Company's By-laws require
indemnification of directors, officers and employees with respect to certain
liabilities, expenses and other amounts imposed upon them by reason of having
been directors, officers or employees unless they engaged in willful misconduct
or a knowing violation of the criminal law. The Company's Board of Directors, or
under certain circumstances, legal counsel make the determination of whether a
director, officer or employee met the standard of conduct required for
indemnification. Section 13.1-692.1 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act
permits a Virginia corporation to limit or totally eliminate the liability of a
director or officer for monetary damages in a shareholder or derivative
proceeding unless that director or officer engaged in willful misconduct or a
knowing violation of the criminal law or securities laws. The Company's By-laws
contain a provision intended to eliminate such liability.

          Directors and officers of the Company are insured, subject to certain
exclusions and limits and to the extent not otherwise indemnified by the
Company, against loss (including expenses incurred in the defense of actions,
suits and proceedings in connection therewith) arising from any error,
misstatement, misleading statement, omission or other act made or performed in
their capacity as directors and officers. The policies also reimburse the
Company for liability incurred in the indemnification of its directors and
officers under common or statutory laws or the Company's By-laws, subject to the
terms, conditions and exclusions of such policies. In addition, directors,
officers and other employees of the Company who may be "fiduciaries" as that
term is used in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 are insured
with respect to liabilities under the Act.
Item 7.   EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED
          -----------------------------------

          Not applicable.

Item 8.   EXHIBITS
          --------

          The Exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the Exhibit
Index to this Registration Statement, which Index is incorporated herein by
reference.

Item 9.   UNDERTAKINGS
          ------------

          (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

              1.  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

                  (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a) (3)
                         of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                         arising after the effective date of the registration
                         statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                         thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                         represent a fundamental change in the information set
                         forth in the registration statement; provided that,
                         notwithstanding the foregoing any increase or decrease
                         in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar
                         value of securities offered would not exceed that which
                         was registered) and any deviation from the low or high
                         end of the estimated maximum offering range may be
                         reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
                         Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the
                         aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no
                         more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate
                         offering price set forth in the "Calculation of
                         Registration Fee" table in the effective registration
                         statement; and

                  (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
                         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                         registration statement or any material change to such
                         information in the registration statement;

                         provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) above
                         do not apply if the registration statement is on Form
                         S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required to be
                         included in a post-effective amendment by those
                         paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with
                         or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant
                         pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                         Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
                         in the registration statement.
2.  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                    Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                    shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
                    to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                    securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
                    bona fide offering thereof.

                3.  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                    amendment any of the securities being registered which
                    remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

            (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of
the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

            (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions referred to under Item 6,
or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy
as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In
the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
SIGNATURES

         Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
         ----------
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Norwalk, State of Connecticut, on October 26,
2001.

                                           OLIN CORPORATION

                                           By:      /s/ J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                                                    ----------------------------
                                                    J. M. Jackson, Jr.
                                           Title:   Vice President, General
                                                    Counsel and Secretary

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We the undersigned officers and directors of Olin Corporation, hereby
severally constitute and appoint Johnnie M. Jackson, Jr., Peter C. Kosche and
Anthony W. Ruggiero, and each of them singly, our true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact, with full power to them in any and all capacities, to sign
any and all amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (including any
post-effective amendments thereto), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said
attorneys-in-fact may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature               Title                                                Date
                 ---------               -----                                                ----
/s/ Donald W. Griffin                    Chairman of the Board, President, Chief         October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
Donald W. Griffin                        Executive Officer and Director
                                         (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Anthony W. Ruggiero                  Executive Vice President, Chief Financial       October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
Anthony W. Ruggiero                      Officer and Director (Principal Financial
                                         Officer)

/s/ William W. Higgins                   Director                                        October 26, 2001
---------------------------------
William W. Higgins
Signature                                   Title                                    Date
---------                                   -----                                    ----
/s/ Randall W. Larrimore                    Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Randall W. Larrimore

/s/ Stephen F. Page                         Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Stephen F. Page

/s/ G. Jackson Ratcliffe, Jr.               Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
G. Jackson Ratcliffe, Jr.

/s/ Richard M. Rompala                      Director                            October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Richard M. Rompala

/s/ Mary E. Gallagher                       Vice President and Controller       October 26, 2001
-----------------------------------
Mary E. Gallagher                           (Principal Accounting Officer)
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT       DESCRIPTION

5             Opinion of Counsel.

23.1          Consent of Independent Auditor

23.2          Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5)