8-K

UNITED STATES
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 2, 2007

BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

New Jersey

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

001-4802	22-0760120
(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey	07417-1880
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

(201) 847-6800

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K Filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers

Cathy E. Minehan has been elected to the Board of Directors of Becton, Dickinson and Company (“BD”), effective November 19, 2007, at which time she will become a member of each of theAudit Committee, the Corporate Affairs Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board. A copy of the press release issued by BD in connection with Ms. Minehan’s election is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Ms. Minehan’s husband is a managing director at Goldman, Sachs & Co. During BD’s last fiscal year, Goldman, Sachs provided investment banking and other services to BD, for which BD paid Goldman Sachs approximately $6.5 million.

Information regarding the compensation of members of our Board of Directors is included under the caption “Directors’ Compensation” in our proxy statement relating to our 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit 99.1 Press release dated November 2, 2007, which is filed pursuant to Item 5.02

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.

BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
(Registrant)

By: /s/ Dean J. Paranicas

        Dean J. Paranicas
        Vice President, Corporate
        Secretary and Public Policy

Date: November 2, 2007

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibits
99.1	Press release dated November 2, 2007, which is filed pursuant to Item 5.02

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

1 Becton Drive
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.bd.com

News Release

Contacts:
Colleen T. White, Corporate Communications – 201-847-5369
Patricia A. Spinella, Investor Relations – 201-847-5453

BD Board of Directors Elects Cathy E. Minehan

Franklin Lakes, NJ (November 2, 2007) – BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE:BDX) announced today that it has elected Cathy E. Minehan to its Board of Directors, effective November 19, 2007.

Ms. Minehan, 60, most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. form the Federal Reserve System. She held this position from 1994 until her retirement in July 2007. Ms. Minehan also served as a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the body responsible for U.S. monetary policy.

“We are honored to welcome Cathy Minehan, who had a distinguished tenure as one of the nation's central bankers, to the BD Board,” said Edward J. Ludwig, BD Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Cathy offers the Board expertise in financial and economic policymaking gained over a notable career of nearly 40 years with the Federal Reserve. This acumen, coupled with her civic and business leadership experience, will bring a wealth of valuable skills and perspective to the Board.”

Ms. Minehan joined the Federal Reserve in 1968 as a bank examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Rising through the ranks, she served in a variety of roles in Public Information and Accounting Control as well as Check Processing, Accounting, Funds and Securities. In 1991, she was appointed First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, a position she held until 1994 when she was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer.

Ms. Minehan serves on the boards of Visa, Inc. and many civic, professional and educational organizations, including Massachusetts General Hospital, the Partners Health Care System, the University of Rochester and the Boston Private Industry Council. She is an Investment Advisory Board Member of Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as a member and former Chair of The United Way of Massachusetts Bay Board of Directors. Ms. Minehan holds an M.B.A. with distinction from New York University, where she earned the Business Forum Prize for Excellence in Economics in 1977. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester.

With her election, the BD board will consist of 14 members, all of whom are independent with the exception of Mr. Ludwig.

— more —

About BD

BD, a leading global medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents, is dedicated to improving people’s health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines. The Company’s capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world’s most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs more than 27,000 people in approximately 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

***