Exhibit 24



Power of Attorney

For Executing Forms 3, 4 and 5



Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints

each of the Corporate Secretary and any Assistant Secretary of SunTrust Banks,

Inc., signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:



(1)  Execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity

as an officer and/or director of SunTrust Banks, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3,

4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

and the rules thereunder, and any other forms or reports the undersigned may be

required to file in connection with the undersigned's ownership, acquisition, or

disposition of securities of the Company;



(2)  Do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which

may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5,

or other form or report, and timely file such form or report with the United

States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar

authority; and



(3)  Take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the

foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,

in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being

understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of

the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and

shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve

in such attorney-in-facts's discretion.



The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and

authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,

necessary or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers

herein gratned, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned

might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or

revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact,

or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or

cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and

powers herein granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing

attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the

undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the

undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities

and Exchange Act of 1934.



This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the

undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to

the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the

Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing

delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to

be executed as of this 18th day of November, 2003.



/s/ J. Hicks Lanier



J. Hicks Lanier