

                                                                EXHIBIT 25

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                -----------------

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,  that each of the undersigned Directors and
Officers of ASHLAND INC., a Kentucky corporation,  which is about to file a
Post-Effective  Amendment No. 2 to Form S-8  Registration  Statement to the
Ashland Inc.  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission under the provisions of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1933, as
amended,  hereby  constitutes  and  appoints  JAMES  J.  O'BRIEN,  DAVID L.
HAUSRATH  and LINDA L. FOSS,  and each of them,  his or her true and lawful
attorneys-in-fact  and agents, with full power to act without the others to
sign and file such  Amendment,  and the  exhibits  thereto  and any and all
other documents in connection  therewith,  and any such amendments thereto,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission,  and to do and perform any and
all acts and things  requisite and necessary to be done in connection  with
the  foregoing  as fully as he or she might or could do in  person,  hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any
of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Dated:  March 18, 2004



/s/ James J. O'Brien                           /s/ Patrick F. Noonan
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
James J. O'Brien, Chairman of the Board        Patrick F. Noonan, Director
and Chief Executive Officer


/s/ J. Marvin Quin                             /s/ Jane C. Pfeiffer
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
J. Marvin Quin, Senior Vice President          Jane C. Pfeiffer, Director
and Chief Financial Officer


/s/ Kenneth L. Aulen                           /s/ William L. Rouse
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
Kenneth L. Aulen, Administrative Vice          William L. Rouse, Jr., Director
President, Controller and Principal
Accounting Officer

/s/ Ernest H. Drew                             /s/ George A. Schaefer
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
Ernest H. Drew, Director                       George A. Schaefer, Jr., Director


/s/ Roger W. Hale                              /s/ Theodore M. Solso
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
Roger W. Hale, Director                        Theodore M. Solso, Director


/s/ Bernadine P. Healy                         /s/ Michael J. Ward
-----------------------------------------      ---------------------------------
Bernadine P. Healy, Director                   Michael J. Ward, Director


/s/ Mannie L. Jackson
-----------------------------------------
Mannie L. Jackson, Director



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