SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                            -----------------------

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT
                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) November 1, 1996

                             The Mead Corporation
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

           Ohio                  1-2267                31-0535759     
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     (State or Other          (Commission            (IRS Employer   
      Jurisdiction of          File Number)       Identification No.)
      Incorporation)

                            Mead World Headquarters
                          Courthouse Plaza Northeast
                              Dayton, Ohio  45463
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)               (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code(937) 495-6323 
                                                       -----------------
                                Not Applicable
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
        (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)


          ITEM 2.   ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS

                    (a)  On November 1, 1996, Mead Oxford
          Corporation ("Mead Oxford"), a Delaware corporation and a
          wholly owned subsidiary of The Mead Corporation, an Ohio
          corporation (the "Registrant"), acquired (the
          "Acquisition") from Boise Cascade Corporation, a Delaware
          corporation ("Boise Cascade"), substantially all of the
          operating assets of Oxford Paper Company, a Delaware
          corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Boise
          Cascade ("Oxford"), for an aggregate purchase price of
          approximately $637 million, subject to certain closing
          and post-closing adjustments (the "Purchase Price").  The
          Acquisition was consummated pursuant to the Acquisition
          Agreement, dated September 28, 1996 (the "Acquisition
          Agreement"), among the Registrant, Mead Oxford, Boise
          Cascade and Oxford.  The assets acquired consist of an
          integrated coated paper mill located in Rumford, Maine
          (the "Rumford Mill"), approximately 667,000 acres of
          timberlands in the states of Maine, Vermont and New
          Hampshire owned by Boise Cascade or Oxford and certain
          related assets, including Boise Cascade's interest in
          Rumford Cogeneration Company Limited Partnership, a Maine
          Limited Partnership that operates a cogeneration facility
          adjacent to the Rumford Mill (collectively, the
          "Assets").

                    The terms of the Acquisition Agreement were the
          result of arm's-length negotiations between the
          Registrant and Boise Cascade.  The source of funds to
          finance the Acquisition was available cash and short-term
          debt.

                    (b)  Boise Cascade primarily manufactured
          coated paper, high-value specialty grade paper and some
          commodity grade paper at the Rumford Mill.  The
          Registrant intends to continue such use.

          ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL 
                    INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.

                    (a)  Financial Statements of the Businesses
          Acquired.  The Registrant believes that it is impractical
          to provide the financial statements for the acquired
          business on the date of this filing, and the Registrant
          will, if required, file such financial information when
          available but not later than 60 days after the date on
          which this Current Report on Form 8-K must be filed.

                    (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information.  The
          Registrant believes that it is impractical to provide pro
          forma financial information reflecting the Registrant's
          acquisitions on the date of this filing, and the
          Registrant will, if required, file such financial
          information when available but not later than 60 days
          after the date on which this Current Report on Form 8-K
          must be filed.

                    (c)  Exhibits

                    2.   Acquisition Agreement, dated September 28,
                         1996, by and among Boise Cascade
                         Corporation, Oxford Paper Company, Mead
                         Oxford Corporation and The Mead
                         Corporation.  The Registrant agrees to
                         furnish supplementally to the Commission a
                         copy of any omitted schedule upon request.


                                  SIGNATURES

               Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
          report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
          hereunto duly authorized.

          Dated: November 5, 1996

                                   THE MEAD CORPORATION

                                   By:   /s/ W.R. Graber           
                                      -----------------------------
                                   Name:   W.R. Graber
                                   Title:  Vice President and
                                           Chief Financial Officer


                                EXHIBIT INDEX

          Exhibit
            No.                  Description                   Page

            2.      Acquisition Agreement, dated September        6
                    28, 1996, by and among Boise Cascade 
                    Corporation, Oxford Paper Company, Mead 
                    Oxford Corporation and The Mead Corpora-
                    tion.  The Registrant agrees to furnish 
                    supplementally to the Commission a copy 
                    of any omitted schedule upon request.
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MEAD CORP", "cik": "0000064394", "assigned-sic": "2631", "irs-number": "310535759", "state-of-incorporation": "OH", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-02267", "film-number": "96654290"}, "business-address": {"street1": "MEAD WORLD HEADQUARTERS", "street2": "COURTHOUSE PLZ NORTHEAST", "city": "DAYTON", "state": "OH", "zip": "45463", "phone": "5134956323"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                            -----------------------

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT
                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) November 1, 1996

                             The Mead Corporation
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

           Ohio                  1-2267                31-0535759     
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     (State or Other          (Commission            (IRS Employer   
      Jurisdiction of          File Number)       Identification No.)
      Incorporation)

                            Mead World Headquarters
                          Courthouse Plaza Northeast
                              Dayton, Ohio  45463
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)               (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code(937) 495-6323 
                                                       -----------------
                                Not Applicable
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
        (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

          ITEM 2.   ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS

                    (a)  On November 1, 1996, Mead Oxford
          Corporation ("Mead Oxford"), a Delaware corporation and a
          wholly owned subsidiary of The Mead Corporation, an Ohio
          corporation (the "Registrant"), acquired (the
          "Acquisition") from Boise Cascade Corporation, a Delaware
          corporation ("Boise Cascade"), substantially all of the
          operating assets of Oxford Paper Company, a Delaware
          corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Boise
          Cascade ("Oxford"), for an aggregate purchase price of
          approximately $637 million, subject to certain closing
          and post-closing adjustments (the "Purchase Price").  The
          Acquisition was consummated pursuant to the Acquisition
          Agreement, dated September 28, 1996 (the "Acquisition
          Agreement"), among the Registrant, Mead Oxford, Boise
          Cascade and Oxford.  The assets acquired consist of an
          integrated coated paper mill located in Rumford, Maine
          (the "Rumford Mill"), approximately 667,000 acres of
          timberlands in the states of Maine, Vermont and New
          Hampshire owned by Boise Cascade or Oxford and certain
          related assets, including Boise Cascade's interest in
          Rumford Cogeneration Company Limited Partnership, a Maine
          Limited Partnership that operates a cogeneration facility
          adjacent to the Rumford Mill (collectively, the
          "Assets").

                    The terms of the Acquisition Agreement were the
          result of arm's-length negotiations between the
          Registrant and Boise Cascade.  The source of funds to
          finance the Acquisition was available cash and short-term
          debt.

                    (b)  Boise Cascade primarily manufactured
          coated paper, high-value specialty grade paper and some
          commodity grade paper at the Rumford Mill.  The
          Registrant intends to continue such use.

          ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL 
                    INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.

                    (a)  Financial Statements of the Businesses
          Acquired.  The Registrant believes that it is impractical
          to provide the financial statements for the acquired
          business on the date of this filing, and the Registrant
          will, if required, file such financial information when
          available but not later than 60 days after the date on
          which this Current Report on Form 8-K must be filed.

                    (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information.  The
          Registrant believes that it is impractical to provide pro
          forma financial information reflecting the Registrant's
          acquisitions on the date of this filing, and the
          Registrant will, if required, file such financial
          information when available but not later than 60 days
          after the date on which this Current Report on Form 8-K
          must be filed.

                    (c)  Exhibits

                    2.   Acquisition Agreement, dated September 28,
                         1996, by and among Boise Cascade
                         Corporation, Oxford Paper Company, Mead
                         Oxford Corporation and The Mead
                         Corporation.  The Registrant agrees to
                         furnish supplementally to the Commission a
                         copy of any omitted schedule upon request.

                                  SIGNATURES

               Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
          report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
          hereunto duly authorized.

          Dated: November 5, 1996

                                   THE MEAD CORPORATION

                                   By:   /s/ W.R. Graber           
                                      -----------------------------
                                   Name:   W.R. Graber
                                   Title:  Vice President and
                                           Chief Financial Officer

                                EXHIBIT INDEX

          Exhibit
            No.                  Description                   Page

            2.      Acquisition Agreement, dated September        6
                    28, 1996, by and among Boise Cascade 
                    Corporation, Oxford Paper Company, Mead 
                    Oxford Corporation and The Mead Corpora-
                    tion.  The Registrant agrees to furnish 
                    supplementally to the Commission a copy 
                    of any omitted schedule upon request.