SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                    WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                _______________________________

                           Form S-8
                    REGISTRATION STATEMENT
               UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                     ____________________

                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                   (a Delaware corporation)
             Executive Offices -- 2030 Dow Center
                    Midland, Michigan 48674
    (Name, state of incorporation and address of principal
                executive office of registrant)
                               
         I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 38-1285128
                     ____________________
                               
                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
            1996-97 EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                   (Full title of the plan)
                   _________________________
                               
                         JOHN SCRIVEN
              Vice President and General Counsel
                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                        2030 Dow Center
                    Midland, Michigan 48674

            (Name and address of agent for service)
                               
                  Telephone:  (517) 636-1000
                     ____________________

                CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                               
                                      Proposed      Proposed       
        Title                          maximum      maximum       
    of securities       Amount to     offering      aggregate      Amount of
   to be registered        be           price       offering     registration
                        registered    per unit      price             fee

  Common Stock, par                                          
value $2.50 per share,  1,600,000      $67.75      $108,400,000    $37,379.31
 of The Dow Chemical     shares                
       Company

                               
                            PART II

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

   The following documents heretofore filed by The Dow
Chemical Company ("Dow") with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated herein by this
reference:

   (a) Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1995 (The consolidated financial statements and
the financial statement schedule included in such Annual
Report have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report appearing therein, and
have been so incorporated in this Registration Statement in
reliance upon such report given upon the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.);

   (b) The description of Dow's Common Stock, par value $2.50
per share, contained in a registration statement filed
pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Act") and any amendments or reports filed for the
purpose of updating that description.

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

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

   Under Article VI of its Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, Dow may indemnify its Directors,
officers, employees and agents to such extent as is permitted
by the laws of the State of Delaware and as Dow's Bylaws may
from time to time provide.  Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware empowers Dow to
indemnify, subject to the standards and limitations therein
prescribed, any person in connection with any action, suit or
proceeding brought or threatened by reason of the fact that
such person is or was a Director, officer, employee or agent
of Dow or is or was serving in such capacity with respect to
another corporation or other enterprise at the request of Dow.
Under Section VI of the Bylaws of Dow, Dow is required to
indemnify its Directors, officers and employees to the full
extent permitted by Delaware law whenever such a person is a
defendant in any legal proceeding.  Section VI also gives the
Company discretion to indemnify Directors, officers, employees
and agents in other legal proceedings to which they are made a
party.  Any indemnification of a Director, officer, employee
or agent of the Company must be approved by the Board of
Directors.  Dow maintains a Directors' and officers' liability
insurance policy that indemnifies Dow's Directors and officers
against certain losses in connection with claims made against
them for certain wrongful acts.
                               
Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

    Exhibit No.     Description of Exhibit
                    
       4(a)         Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
                    The Dow Chemical Company, filed as
                    Exhibit 3(a) to Dow's Annual Report on
                    Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
                    1992, incorporated herein by this
                    reference.
                    
       4(b)         Bylaws of The Dow Chemical Company, filed
                    as Exhibit 3(ii) to Dow's Annual Report
                    on Form 10-K for the year ended December
                    31, 1995, incorporated herein by this
                    reference.
                    
        23          Independent Auditors' Consent.
                    
        24          Power 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;
          (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 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 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.

   (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 Act 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
                               
                          SIGNATURES


   The 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
Midland, State of Michigan, on March 18, 1996.


                              THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                                           (Registrant)



                              By:  /s/ DONNA J. ROBERTS
                                 Donna J. Roberts, Secretary



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


J. K. BARTON*          Director                 
J. K. Barton                                
          
D. T. BUZZELLI*        Director and Vice President
D. T. Buzzelli                               
          
A. J. CARBONE*         Director and Vice President
A. J. Carbone                               
          
F. P. CORSON*          Director and Vice President
F. P. Corson                                
          
J. C. DANFORTH*        Director                 
J. C. Danforth                               
          
W. D. DAVIS*           Director                 
W. D. Davis                                
                       
M. L. DOW*             Director
M. L. Dow                                 
                                                
J. L. DOWNEY*          Director                 
J. L. Downey                                
                                                
E. C. FALLA*           Director and Executive
E. C. Falla            Vice President           
                       
B. H. FRANKLIN*        Director
B. H. Franklin                               
          
A. D. GILMOUR*         Director                 
A. D. Gilmour                               
          
R. L. KESSELER*        Vice President and Controller
R. L. Kesseler                               
                       
W. J. NEELY*           Director
W. J. Neely                                
                       
M. D. PARKER*          Director and Vice President
M. D. Parker                                
                                                
F. P. POPOFF*          Director and Chairman of the Board
F. P. Popoff                          
                       
J. P. REINHARD*        Director and Financial Vice
J. P. Reinhard         President, Treasurer and 
                       Chief Financial Officer
                       
H. T. SHAPIRO*         Director                 
H. T. Shapiro                               
                       
W. S. STAVROPOULOS*    Director and President
W. S. Stavropoulos     (Chief Executive Officer)
                       
P. G. STERN*           Director
P. G. Stern                                
                       
                       


*By:      /s/ DONNA J. ROBERTS
   Donna J. Roberts
   Attorney-in-fact


Dated:  March 18, 1996
                               
                         EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.  Description of Exhibit               Page Number

4(a)         Restated Certificate of                           
             Incorporation of The Dow Chemical
             Company, filed as Exhibit 3(a) to
             Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K
             for the year ended December 31,
             1992, incorporated herein by this
             reference.
             
4(b)         Bylaws of The Dow Chemical                        
             Company, filed as Exhibit 3(ii) to
             Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K
             for the year ended December 31,
             1995, incorporated herein by this
             reference.
             
23           Independent Auditors' Consent .           9
             
24           Power of Attorney.                      10-12
                                                       

                               
                               
                               
                               
                          EXHIBIT 23
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                 INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT


We consent to the incorporation by reference in this
Registration Statement of The Dow Chemical Company on Form S-8
of our report dated February 7, 1996, appearing in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of The Dow Chemical Company for the year
ended December 31, 1995, and to the reference to us under Item
3, "Incorporation of Documents by Reference", of this
Registration Statement.


/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Midland, Michigan  48642

March 15, 1996


                               
                               
                          EXHIBIT 24
                               
                       POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and
appoints DONNA J. ROBERTS, JOHN SCRIVEN or J. PEDRO REINHARD,
acting severally, as his or her attorney-in-fact and agent, to
sign any registration statement on Form S-8 and any or all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to such
registration statement for shares of the Common Stock, par
value $2.50 per share, of The Dow Chemical Company, to be
offered pursuant to the 1996-97 Employees' Stock Purchase Plan
and the 1996-97 Petrodow Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, and
to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting to said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to perform any act in
connection with any of the foregoing as fully to all intents
and purposes as he or she might do in person, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.  Each
attorney-in-fact and agent is hereby granted full power of
substitution and revocation with respect hereto.

SIGNATURE                TITLE                    DATE

/s/J. K. BARTON          Director                 February 8, 1996
J. K. Barton


/s/D. T. BUZZELLI        Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
D. T. Buzzelli           President


/s/A. J. CARBONE         Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
A. J. Carbone            President


/s/F. P. CORSON          Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
F. P. Corson             President


/s/J. C. DANFORTH        Director                 February 8, 1996
J. C. Danforth


/s/W. D. DAVIS           Director                 February 8, 1996
W. D. Davis


/s/M. L. DOW             Director                 February 8, 1996
M. L. Dow


/s/J. L. DOWNEY          Director                 February 8, 1996
J. L. Downey


/s/E. C. FALLA           Director and Executive   February 8, 1996
E. C. Falla              Vice President


/s/B. H. FRANKLIN        Director                 February 8, 1996
B. H. Franklin


/s/A. D. GILMOUR         Director                 February 8, 1996
A. D. Gilmour


/s/R. L. KESSELER        Vice President and       February 8, 1996
R. L. Kesseler           Controller


/s/W. J. NEELY           Director                 February 8, 1996
W. J. Neely


/s/M. D. PARKER          Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
M. D. Parker             President


/s/F. P. POPOFF          Director and             February 8, 1996
F. P. Popoff             Chairman of the Board


/s/J. P. REINHARD        Director and Financial   February 8, 1996
J. P. Reinhard           Vice President, Treasurer 
                         and Chief Financial Officer


/s/H. T. SHAPIRO         Director                 February 8, 1996
H. T. Shapiro


/s/W. S. STAVROPOULOS    Director and President   February 8, 1996
W. S. Stavropoulos       (Chief Executive Officer)


/s/P. G. STERN           Director                 February 8, 1996
P. G. Stern
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                    WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                _______________________________

                           Form S-8
                    REGISTRATION STATEMENT
               UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                     ____________________

                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                   (a Delaware corporation)
             Executive Offices -- 2030 Dow Center
                    Midland, Michigan 48674
    (Name, state of incorporation and address of principal
                executive office of registrant)
                               
         I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 38-1285128
                     ____________________
                               
                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
            1996-97 EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                   (Full title of the plan)
                   _________________________
                               
                         JOHN SCRIVEN
              Vice President and General Counsel
                   THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                        2030 Dow Center
                    Midland, Michigan 48674

            (Name and address of agent for service)
                               
                  Telephone:  (517) 636-1000
                     ____________________

                CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                               
                                      Proposed      Proposed       
        Title                          maximum      maximum       
    of securities       Amount to     offering      aggregate      Amount of
   to be registered        be           price       offering     registration
                        registered    per unit      price             fee

  Common Stock, par                                          
value $2.50 per share,  1,600,000      $67.75      $108,400,000    $37,379.31
 of The Dow Chemical     shares                
       Company

                               
                            PART II

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

   The following documents heretofore filed by The Dow
Chemical Company ("Dow") with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated herein by this
reference:

   (a) Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1995 (The consolidated financial statements and
the financial statement schedule included in such Annual
Report have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent
auditors, as stated in their report appearing therein, and
have been so incorporated in this Registration Statement in
reliance upon such report given upon the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.);

   (b) The description of Dow's Common Stock, par value $2.50
per share, contained in a registration statement filed
pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Act") and any amendments or reports filed for the
purpose of updating that description.

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

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

   Under Article VI of its Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, Dow may indemnify its Directors,
officers, employees and agents to such extent as is permitted
by the laws of the State of Delaware and as Dow's Bylaws may
from time to time provide.  Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware empowers Dow to
indemnify, subject to the standards and limitations therein
prescribed, any person in connection with any action, suit or
proceeding brought or threatened by reason of the fact that
such person is or was a Director, officer, employee or agent
of Dow or is or was serving in such capacity with respect to
another corporation or other enterprise at the request of Dow.
Under Section VI of the Bylaws of Dow, Dow is required to
indemnify its Directors, officers and employees to the full
extent permitted by Delaware law whenever such a person is a
defendant in any legal proceeding.  Section VI also gives the
Company discretion to indemnify Directors, officers, employees
and agents in other legal proceedings to which they are made a
party.  Any indemnification of a Director, officer, employee
or agent of the Company must be approved by the Board of
Directors.  Dow maintains a Directors' and officers' liability
insurance policy that indemnifies Dow's Directors and officers
against certain losses in connection with claims made against
them for certain wrongful acts.
                               
Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

    Exhibit No.     Description of Exhibit
                    
       4(a)         Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
                    The Dow Chemical Company, filed as
                    Exhibit 3(a) to Dow's Annual Report on
                    Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
                    1992, incorporated herein by this
                    reference.
                    
       4(b)         Bylaws of The Dow Chemical Company, filed
                    as Exhibit 3(ii) to Dow's Annual Report
                    on Form 10-K for the year ended December
                    31, 1995, incorporated herein by this
                    reference.
                    
        23          Independent Auditors' Consent.
                    
        24          Power 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;
          (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 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 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.

   (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 Act 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
                               
                          SIGNATURES

   The 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
Midland, State of Michigan, on March 18, 1996.

                              THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
                                           (Registrant)

                              By:  /s/ DONNA J. ROBERTS
                                 Donna J. Roberts, Secretary

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

J. K. BARTON*          Director                 
J. K. Barton                                
          
D. T. BUZZELLI*        Director and Vice President
D. T. Buzzelli                               
          
A. J. CARBONE*         Director and Vice President
A. J. Carbone                               
          
F. P. CORSON*          Director and Vice President
F. P. Corson                                
          
J. C. DANFORTH*        Director                 
J. C. Danforth                               
          
W. D. DAVIS*           Director                 
W. D. Davis                                
                       
M. L. DOW*             Director
M. L. Dow                                 
                                                
J. L. DOWNEY*          Director                 
J. L. Downey                                
                                                
E. C. FALLA*           Director and Executive
E. C. Falla            Vice President           
                       
B. H. FRANKLIN*        Director
B. H. Franklin                               
          
A. D. GILMOUR*         Director                 
A. D. Gilmour                               
          
R. L. KESSELER*        Vice President and Controller
R. L. Kesseler                               
                       
W. J. NEELY*           Director
W. J. Neely                                
                       
M. D. PARKER*          Director and Vice President
M. D. Parker                                
                                                
F. P. POPOFF*          Director and Chairman of the Board
F. P. Popoff                          
                       
J. P. REINHARD*        Director and Financial Vice
J. P. Reinhard         President, Treasurer and 
                       Chief Financial Officer
                       
H. T. SHAPIRO*         Director                 
H. T. Shapiro                               
                       
W. S. STAVROPOULOS*    Director and President
W. S. Stavropoulos     (Chief Executive Officer)
                       
P. G. STERN*           Director
P. G. Stern                                
                       
                       

*By:      /s/ DONNA J. ROBERTS
   Donna J. Roberts
   Attorney-in-fact

Dated:  March 18, 1996
                               
                         EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.  Description of Exhibit               Page Number

4(a)         Restated Certificate of                           
             Incorporation of The Dow Chemical
             Company, filed as Exhibit 3(a) to
             Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K
             for the year ended December 31,
             1992, incorporated herein by this
             reference.
             
4(b)         Bylaws of The Dow Chemical                        
             Company, filed as Exhibit 3(ii) to
             Dow's Annual Report on Form 10-K
             for the year ended December 31,
             1995, incorporated herein by this
             reference.
             
23           Independent Auditors' Consent .           9
             
24           Power of Attorney.                      10-12
                                                       

                               
                               
                               
                               
                          EXHIBIT 23
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                 INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this
Registration Statement of The Dow Chemical Company on Form S-8
of our report dated February 7, 1996, appearing in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of The Dow Chemical Company for the year
ended December 31, 1995, and to the reference to us under Item
3, "Incorporation of Documents by Reference", of this
Registration Statement.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Midland, Michigan  48642

March 15, 1996

                               
                               
                          EXHIBIT 24
                               
                       POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and
appoints DONNA J. ROBERTS, JOHN SCRIVEN or J. PEDRO REINHARD,
acting severally, as his or her attorney-in-fact and agent, to
sign any registration statement on Form S-8 and any or all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to such
registration statement for shares of the Common Stock, par
value $2.50 per share, of The Dow Chemical Company, to be
offered pursuant to the 1996-97 Employees' Stock Purchase Plan
and the 1996-97 Petrodow Employees' Stock Purchase Plan, and
to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting to said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to perform any act in
connection with any of the foregoing as fully to all intents
and purposes as he or she might do in person, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.  Each
attorney-in-fact and agent is hereby granted full power of
substitution and revocation with respect hereto.

SIGNATURE                TITLE                    DATE

/s/J. K. BARTON          Director                 February 8, 1996
J. K. Barton

/s/D. T. BUZZELLI        Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
D. T. Buzzelli           President

/s/A. J. CARBONE         Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
A. J. Carbone            President

/s/F. P. CORSON          Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
F. P. Corson             President

/s/J. C. DANFORTH        Director                 February 8, 1996
J. C. Danforth

/s/W. D. DAVIS           Director                 February 8, 1996
W. D. Davis

/s/M. L. DOW             Director                 February 8, 1996
M. L. Dow

/s/J. L. DOWNEY          Director                 February 8, 1996
J. L. Downey

/s/E. C. FALLA           Director and Executive   February 8, 1996
E. C. Falla              Vice President

/s/B. H. FRANKLIN        Director                 February 8, 1996
B. H. Franklin

/s/A. D. GILMOUR         Director                 February 8, 1996
A. D. Gilmour

/s/R. L. KESSELER        Vice President and       February 8, 1996
R. L. Kesseler           Controller

/s/W. J. NEELY           Director                 February 8, 1996
W. J. Neely

/s/M. D. PARKER          Director and Vice        February 8, 1996
M. D. Parker             President

/s/F. P. POPOFF          Director and             February 8, 1996
F. P. Popoff             Chairman of the Board

/s/J. P. REINHARD        Director and Financial   February 8, 1996
J. P. Reinhard           Vice President, Treasurer 
                         and Chief Financial Officer

/s/H. T. SHAPIRO         Director                 February 8, 1996
H. T. Shapiro

/s/W. S. STAVROPOULOS    Director and President   February 8, 1996
W. S. Stavropoulos       (Chief Executive Officer)

/s/P. G. STERN           Director                 February 8, 1996
P. G. Stern