<PAGE> 1
                                                  Registration No. 33-____
==========================================================================


                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
            --------------------------------------------------
                                 FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   UNDER
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                 ----------------------------------------
                        BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

             Missouri                                 43-0672260
-----------------------------------     --------------------------------------
    (State or Other Jurisdiction         (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 of Incorporation or Organization)

One Boatmen's Plaza, 800 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63101 (314) 466-6000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

       FOURTH FINANCIAL CORPORATION 1993 INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION PLAN
       -------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Full Title of the Plan)
        -----------------------------------------------------------

                             JAMES W. KIENKER
                         Executive Vice President
                        Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc.
                  One Boatmen's Plaza, 800 Market Street
                        St. Louis, Missouri  63101
                 -----------------------------------------
                  (Name and Address of Agent for Service)
                              (314) 466-7718
                         -------------------------
                       (Telephone Number, Including
                     Area Code, of Agent for Service)


                                Copies to:
                           SCOTT J. LUEDKE, Esq.
                       Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.
                      500 North Broadway, Suite 2000
                        St. Louis, Missouri  63102
                              (314) 444-7600
       -------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
                                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
============================================================================================================
<CAPTION>
                                                   Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum       Amount of
       Title of Securities     Amount to be       Offering Price Per   Aggregate Offering    Registration
        to be Registered        Registered            Share(F1>            Price(F1>            Fee<F1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                              <C>                   <C>               <C>                  <C>
Common stock, $1.00 par value    352,466               $30.08            $10,601,060.32       $3,655.54
============================================================================================================
<FN>
<F1>  The securities registered hereunder are to be offered pursuant
      to the Fourth Financial Corporation 1993 Incentive Stock
      Option Plan.  In accordance with Rule 457(h)(1), the aggregate
      offering price and the registration fee are computed based
      upon the price at which the options may be exercised.
</TABLE>

===============================================================================


<PAGE> 2

  PART II - INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

      Information contained in the following documents of Boatmen's
Bancshares, Inc. (the "Corporation") filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") is incorporated herein by
reference:

      (a)  The Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1994, as filed with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act");

      (b)  All other reports filed by the Corporation pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since December 31, 1994;

      (c)  The description of the Corporation's common stock (the
"Common Stock") contained in the Corporation's Registration
Statement on Form 8-A under the Exchange Act, as amended under
cover of Form 8 dated July 15, 1988, and the description of the
Corporation's preferred share purchase rights contained in the
Corporation's Registration Statement on Form 8-A under the Exchange
Act filed August 14, 1990 and the Rights Agreement, dated as of
August 14, 1990, included as an Exhibit thereto, as amended by the
Amendment to the Rights Agreement, dated as of January 26, 1993,
included as an Exhibit to the Corporation's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1992.

      All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the
Corporation pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which
deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from
the date of the filing of such reports and documents.


ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF COUNSEL AND NAMED EXPERTS.

      Certain legal matters in connection with the shares of Common
Stock to be offered hereby have been passed upon for the
Corporation by Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C., St. Louis, Missouri.
Members of, and attorneys employed by, that firm owned directly or
indirectly as of November 1, 1995, approximately 76,995 shares of
Common Stock.


ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

      Section 351.355(1) and (2) of The General Business Corporation
Law of the State of Missouri provides that a corporation may
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be
made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit
or proceeding by reason of the fact that he is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving
at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee
or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust
or other enterprise, against expenses, judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement

                                    II-1
<PAGE> 3

actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit
or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of an
action or suit by or in the right of the corporation, the
corporation may not indemnify such persons against judgments and
fines, and no person shall be indemnified as to any claim, issue or
matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be
liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty
to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in
which the action or suit was brought determines upon application
that such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for
proper expenses.  Section 351.355 further provides that, to the
extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the
corporation has been successful in the defense of any such action,
suit or proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall
be indemnified against expenses, including attorney's fees,
actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action,
suit or proceeding.  Section 351.355 provides that a Missouri
corporation may provide additional indemnification to any person
indemnifiable under subsection (1) or (2), provided such additional
indemnification is authorized by the corporation's articles of
incorporation or an amendment thereto or by a shareholder-approved
by-law or agreement, and provided further that no person shall
thereby be indemnified against conduct which was finally adjudged
to have been knowingly fraudulent, deliberately dishonest or
willful misconduct.  Article XIII of the Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Corporation provides that the Corporation
shall indemnify its directors and certain of its executive officers
to the full extent specified in Section 351.355 and, in addition,
shall indemnify each of them against all expenses incurred in
connection with any claim by reason of service for or at the
request of the Corporation in any of the capacities referred to in
Section 351.355 or arising out of his or her status in any such
capacity, provided that he or she may not be indemnified against
conduct finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent,
deliberately dishonest or willful misconduct, and that it may
extend to other officers, employees and agents such indemnification
and additional indemnification.

      Pursuant to a policy of directors' and officers' liability
insurance, with total annual limits of $55 million, the
Corporation's officers and directors are insured, subject to the
limits, retention, exceptions and other terms and conditions of
such policy, against liability for any actual or alleged error,
misstatement, misleading statement, act or omission, or neglect or
breach of duty by the directors or officers of the Corporation in
the discharge of their duties solely in their capacity as directors
or officers of the Corporation, individually or collectively, or
any matter claimed against them solely by reason of their being
directors or officers of the Corporation.


ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

      The following exhibits are submitted herewith or incorporated
by reference herein:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
  Exhibit
  Number      Exhibit
  -------     -------
<S>           <C>
   4(a)       Rights Agreement, dated as of August 14, 1990;

   4(b)       Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of January 26,
              1993;

    5         Opinion of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. re legality;

                                    II-2
<PAGE> 4

   23(a)      Consent of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. (included in
              opinion re legality);

   23(b)      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP;

   23(c)      Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP;

   23(d)      Consent of Frost & Company; and

    24        Powers of Attorney
</TABLE>


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.  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;

             (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 (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do
     not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3,
     Form S-8 or Form F-3, 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 Section
     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.

                                    II-3
<PAGE> 5

          (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 section 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 foregoing
provisions, 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.


                                    II-4
<PAGE> 6

                        SIGNATURES

     THE REGISTRANT.  Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 St. Louis,
State of Missouri, on January 25, 1996.

                                 BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.


                                 By /s/ Andrew B. Craig, III
                                    -----------------------------------
                                     Andrew B. Craig, III
                                     Chairman of the Board
                                       and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the
following persons in their respective capacities on January 25,
1996.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Name                             Title
----                             -----
<C>                              <S>
/s/ Andrew B. Craig, III         Chairman of the Board
-----------------------------    and Chief Executive
Andrew B. Craig, III             Officer (principal executive officer)


/s/ James W. Kienker             Executive Vice President and
-----------------------------    Chief Financial Officer
James W. Kienker                 (principal financial and
                                 accounting officer)


        <F*>                     President and Director
-----------------------------
Samuel B. Hayes, III


/s/ Gregory L. Curl              Vice Chairman and Director
-----------------------------
Gregory L. Curl


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Richard L. Battram


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
B. A. Bridgewater, Jr.

                                    II-5
<PAGE> 7

            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
William E. Cornelius


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
John E. Hayes, Jr.


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
C. Ray Holman


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
John Peters MacCarthy


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
William E. Maritz


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Richard E. Peck


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Jerry E. Ritter


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
William P. Stiritz


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Albert E. Suter


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Dwight D. Sutherland


            <F*>                 Director
-----------------------------
Theodore C. Wetterau


By /s/ James W. Kienker
   --------------------------
<FN>
     <F*> Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>


                                    II-6
<PAGE> 8

                        BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.
                      FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                               EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Reg. S-K
Item 601
Exhibit No.                       Exhibit
-----------                       -------
  <C>             <S>
  4(a)            Rights Agreement, dated as of
                  August 14, 1990, is incorporated
                  herein by reference from the
                  Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc.
                  Registration Statement on Form 8-A,
                  dated August 14, 1990.

  4(b)            Amendment, dated as of January 26,
                  1993, to Rights Agreement dated
                  August 14, 1990, is incorporated
                  herein by reference from the
                  Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc. Annual
                  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                  year ended December 31, 1992.

    5             Opinion of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh,
                  L.C. re legality.

  23(a)           Consent of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh,
                  L.C. (in opinion re legality).

  23(b)           Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

  23(c)           Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

  23(d)           Consent of Frost & Company.

   24             Powers of Attorney.
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC. FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 20010}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BOATMENS BANCSHARES INC /MO", "cik": "0000040454", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "430672260", "state-of-incorporation": "MO", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-00685", "film-number": "96510958"}, "business-address": {"street1": "800 MARKET ST", "street2": "1 BOATMENS PLZ", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63101", "phone": "3144666000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "800 MARKET ST", "street2": "1 BOATMENS PLAZA", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63101"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "GENERAL BANCSHARES CORP", "date-changed": "19860414"}, {"former-conformed-name": "GENERAL CONTRACT CORP", "date-changed": "19691215"}]}
1
                                                  Registration No. 33-____
==========================================================================

                    SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
            --------------------------------------------------
                                 FORM S-8
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   UNDER
                        THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                 ----------------------------------------
                        BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

             Missouri                                 43-0672260
-----------------------------------     --------------------------------------
    (State or Other Jurisdiction         (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 of Incorporation or Organization)

One Boatmen's Plaza, 800 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63101 (314) 466-6000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

       FOURTH FINANCIAL CORPORATION 1993 INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION PLAN
       -------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Full Title of the Plan)
        -----------------------------------------------------------

                             JAMES W. KIENKER
                         Executive Vice President
                        Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc.
                  One Boatmen's Plaza, 800 Market Street
                        St. Louis, Missouri  63101
                 -----------------------------------------
                  (Name and Address of Agent for Service)
                              (314) 466-7718
                         -------------------------
                       (Telephone Number, Including
                     Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                Copies to:
                           SCOTT J. LUEDKE, Esq.
                       Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.
                      500 North Broadway, Suite 2000
                        St. Louis, Missouri  63102
                              (314) 444-7600
       -------------------------------------------------------------

                                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
============================================================================================================
Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum       Amount of
       Title of Securities     Amount to be       Offering Price Per   Aggregate Offering    Registration
        to be Registered        Registered            Share(F1>            Price(F1>            Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common stock, $1.00 par value    352,466               $30.08            $10,601,060.32       $3,655.54
============================================================================================================
The securities registered hereunder are to be offered pursuant
      to the Fourth Financial Corporation 1993 Incentive Stock
      Option Plan.  In accordance with Rule 457(h)(1), the aggregate
      offering price and the registration fee are computed based
      upon the price at which the options may be exercised.
===============================================================================
2

  PART II - INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

      Information contained in the following documents of Boatmen's
Bancshares, Inc. (the "Corporation") filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") is incorporated herein by
reference:

      (a)  The Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1994, as filed with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act");

      (b)  All other reports filed by the Corporation pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since December 31, 1994;

      (c)  The description of the Corporation's common stock (the
"Common Stock") contained in the Corporation's Registration
Statement on Form 8-A under the Exchange Act, as amended under
cover of Form 8 dated July 15, 1988, and the description of the
Corporation's preferred share purchase rights contained in the
Corporation's Registration Statement on Form 8-A under the Exchange
Act filed August 14, 1990 and the Rights Agreement, dated as of
August 14, 1990, included as an Exhibit thereto, as amended by the
Amendment to the Rights Agreement, dated as of January 26, 1993,
included as an Exhibit to the Corporation's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1992.

      All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the
Corporation pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which
deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed
to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from
the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF COUNSEL AND NAMED EXPERTS.

      Certain legal matters in connection with the shares of Common
Stock to be offered hereby have been passed upon for the
Corporation by Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C., St. Louis, Missouri.
Members of, and attorneys employed by, that firm owned directly or
indirectly as of November 1, 1995, approximately 76,995 shares of
Common Stock.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

      Section 351.355(1) and (2) of The General Business Corporation
Law of the State of Missouri provides that a corporation may
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be
made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit
or proceeding by reason of the fact that he is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving
at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee
or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust
or other enterprise, against expenses, judgments, fines and amounts
paid in settlement

                                    II-1
3

actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit
or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of an
action or suit by or in the right of the corporation, the
corporation may not indemnify such persons against judgments and
fines, and no person shall be indemnified as to any claim, issue or
matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be
liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty
to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in
which the action or suit was brought determines upon application
that such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for
proper expenses.  Section 351.355 further provides that, to the
extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the
corporation has been successful in the defense of any such action,
suit or proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall
be indemnified against expenses, including attorney's fees,
actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action,
suit or proceeding.  Section 351.355 provides that a Missouri
corporation may provide additional indemnification to any person
indemnifiable under subsection (1) or (2), provided such additional
indemnification is authorized by the corporation's articles of
incorporation or an amendment thereto or by a shareholder-approved
by-law or agreement, and provided further that no person shall
thereby be indemnified against conduct which was finally adjudged
to have been knowingly fraudulent, deliberately dishonest or
willful misconduct.  Article XIII of the Restated Articles of
Incorporation of the Corporation provides that the Corporation
shall indemnify its directors and certain of its executive officers
to the full extent specified in Section 351.355 and, in addition,
shall indemnify each of them against all expenses incurred in
connection with any claim by reason of service for or at the
request of the Corporation in any of the capacities referred to in
Section 351.355 or arising out of his or her status in any such
capacity, provided that he or she may not be indemnified against
conduct finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent,
deliberately dishonest or willful misconduct, and that it may
extend to other officers, employees and agents such indemnification
and additional indemnification.

      Pursuant to a policy of directors' and officers' liability
insurance, with total annual limits of $55 million, the
Corporation's officers and directors are insured, subject to the
limits, retention, exceptions and other terms and conditions of
such policy, against liability for any actual or alleged error,
misstatement, misleading statement, act or omission, or neglect or
breach of duty by the directors or officers of the Corporation in
the discharge of their duties solely in their capacity as directors
or officers of the Corporation, individually or collectively, or
any matter claimed against them solely by reason of their being
directors or officers of the Corporation.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

      The following exhibits are submitted herewith or incorporated
by reference herein:
Exhibit
  Number      Exhibit
  -------     -------
4(a)       Rights Agreement, dated as of August 14, 1990;

   4(b)       Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of January 26,
              1993;

    5         Opinion of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. re legality;

                                    II-2
4

   23(a)      Consent of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. (included in
              opinion re legality);

   23(b)      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP;

   23(c)      Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP;

   23(d)      Consent of Frost & Company; and

    24        Powers of Attorney
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.  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;

             (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 (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do
     not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3,
     Form S-8 or Form F-3, 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 Section
     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.

                                    II-3
5

          (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 section 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 foregoing
provisions, 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.

                                    II-4
6

                        SIGNATURES

     THE REGISTRANT.  Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 St. Louis,
State of Missouri, on January 25, 1996.

                                 BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.

                                 By /s/ Andrew B. Craig, III
                                    -----------------------------------
                                     Andrew B. Craig, III
                                     Chairman of the Board
                                       and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the
following persons in their respective capacities on January 25,
1996.
Name                             Title
----                             -----
/s/ Andrew B. Craig, III         Chairman of the Board
-----------------------------    and Chief Executive
Andrew B. Craig, III             Officer (principal executive officer)

/s/ James W. Kienker             Executive Vice President and
-----------------------------    Chief Financial Officer
James W. Kienker                 (principal financial and
                                 accounting officer)
President and Director
-----------------------------
Samuel B. Hayes, III

/s/ Gregory L. Curl              Vice Chairman and Director
-----------------------------
Gregory L. Curl
Director
-----------------------------
Richard L. Battram
Director
-----------------------------
B. A. Bridgewater, Jr.

                                    II-5
7
Director
-----------------------------
William E. Cornelius
Director
-----------------------------
John E. Hayes, Jr.
Director
-----------------------------
C. Ray Holman
Director
-----------------------------
John Peters MacCarthy
Director
-----------------------------
William E. Maritz
Director
-----------------------------
Richard E. Peck
Director
-----------------------------
Jerry E. Ritter
Director
-----------------------------
William P. Stiritz
Director
-----------------------------
Albert E. Suter
Director
-----------------------------
Dwight D. Sutherland
Director
-----------------------------
Theodore C. Wetterau

By /s/ James W. Kienker
   --------------------------
Attorney-in-Fact
II-6
8

                        BOATMEN'S BANCSHARES, INC.
                      FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                               EXHIBIT INDEX
Reg. S-K
Item 601
Exhibit No.                       Exhibit
-----------                       -------
4(a)            Rights Agreement, dated as of
                  August 14, 1990, is incorporated
                  herein by reference from the
                  Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc.
                  Registration Statement on Form 8-A,
                  dated August 14, 1990.

  4(b)            Amendment, dated as of January 26,
                  1993, to Rights Agreement dated
                  August 14, 1990, is incorporated
                  herein by reference from the
                  Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc. Annual
                  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                  year ended December 31, 1992.

    5             Opinion of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh,
                  L.C. re legality.

  23(a)           Consent of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh,
                  L.C. (in opinion re legality).

  23(b)           Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

  23(c)           Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

  23(d)           Consent of Frost & Company.

   24             Powers of Attorney.