Exhibit 10(10)

                                   AMENDMENT
                                      TO
                             THE MEAD CORPORATION
                        SECTION 415 EXCESS BENEFIT PLAN

     WHEREAS, The Mead Corporation ("Mead") heretofore established The Mead
Corporation Section 415 Excess Benefit Plan (the "Plan") and subsequently
amended the Plan, and

     WHEREAS, Mead desires to further amend the Plan pursuant to the power
reserved to Mead's Compensation Committee by Section 6 of the Plan;

     NOW THEREFORE, the Plan is hereby amended, effective as of October 26,
2001, as follows:

     1.   Subsection 4.5 is revised to read as follows:

          4.5  ECAP Credit in Lieu of Distribution.  A Participant who is also
               -----------------------------------
          a Participant in The Mead Corporation Executive Capital Accumulation
          Plan ("ECAP") may elect to waive his right to receive any amount
          otherwise distributable to him pursuant to the provisions of
          subsection 4.1 and to have the same amount credited for his benefit
          (as of the date distribution would have been made) and subsequently
          distributed to him under the terms of the ECAP. An election made by a
          Participant in accordance with the provisions of this subsection must
          be in such written form as the Committee shall decide and filed with
          the Plan Administrator at least three months prior to the
          Participant's employment termination with the Employers and Affiliates
          with respect to distributions made on or after employment termination
          or, as an additional alternative, filed at any time prior to a Change
          in Control (as defined in Section 3.01 of Benefits Trust Agreement)
          with respect to distributions made on or after a Change in Control. An
          election made by a Participant pursuant to the foregoing sentence
          shall be revocable at any time that is at least three months prior to
          the date of termination of employment with the Employers and
          Affiliates or a Change in Control, as appropriate. In no event shall
          this subsection be applicable to any amount distributable to a
          Participant's surviving Spouse pursuant to the provisions of
          subsection 4.2.