Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 31, 2001

Signature: /s/ H. Furlong Baldwin
Name: H. Furlong Baldwin, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 31, 2001

Signature: /s/ Carolyn H. Byrd
Name: Carolyn H. Byrd, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 31, 2001

Signature: /s/ John H. Dasburg
Name: John H. Dasburg, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: June 4, 2001

Signature: /s/ Janet M. Dolan
Name: Janet M. Dolan, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 30, 2001

Signature: /s/ Kenneth M. Duberstein
Name: Kenneth M. Duberstein, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: June 1, 2001

Signature: /s/ Pierson M. Grieve
Name: Pierson M. Grieve, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: June 1, 2001

Signature: /s/ Thomas R. Hodgson
Name: Thomas R. Hodgson, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: June 1, 2001

Signature: /s/ David G. John
Name: David G. John, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 30, 2001

Signature: /s/ William H. Kling
Name: William H. Kling, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: June 2, 2001

Signature: /s/ Bruce K. MacLaury
Name: Bruce K. MacLaury, Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 29, 2001

Signature: /s/ Glen D. Nelson
Name: Glen D. Nelson, M.D., Director

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, the undersigned, a director of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (“The St. Paul”), do hereby make, nominate and appoint John A. MacColl and Bruce A. Backberg, or either of them, to be my attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority to sign on my behalf a Registration Statement on Form S-8 of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the issuance of shares of The St. Paul common stock to be issued pursuant to The St. Paul’s Deferred Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors, and any or all additional amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provided that the Registration Statement and any additional amendments thereto, in their final form, are reviewed by said attorney-in-fact, and shall have the same force and effect as though I had manually signed the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto.

Dated: May 31, 2001

Signature: /s/ Gordon M. Sprenger
Name: Gordon M. Sprenger, Director