UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Duquin, James A.

   5200  Blazer Parkway
   Dublin, Ohio  43017
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Ashland Inc.
   ASH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

4. Statement for Month/Year
   May 31, 2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Vice President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Month     |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Common Stock               |      |    | |                  |   |           |5,026 (1)          |I     |By Trustee                 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock               |5-7-01|F (2| |1,117             |D  |$40.97     |                   |      |                           |
                           |      |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock               |5-7-01|M   | |1,500             |A  |$30.50     |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock               |5-7-01|F (3| |134               |D  |$40.97     |2,143              |D     |                           |
                           |      |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Month       |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Option (4)            |30.50   |5-7-0|M   | |750        |D  |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|750    |       |0           |D  |            |
                      |        |1    |    | |           |   |92   |-01  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |30.50   |5-7-0|M   | |375        |D  |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|375    |       |0           |D  |            |
                      |        |1    |    | |           |   |93   |-01  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |30.50   |5-7-0|M   | |375        |D  |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|375    |       |0           |D  |            |
                      |        |1    |    | |           |   |94   |-01  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (4)            |23.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|1,000  |       |1,000       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |93   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |23.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |94   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |23.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |95   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (5)            |33.125  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|1,000  |       |1,000       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |94   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |33.125  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |95   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |33.125  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |96   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (6)            |35.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|1,000  |       |1,000       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |95   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |35.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |96   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |35.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |97   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (6)            |33.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|1,000  |       |1,000       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |96   |-05  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |33.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |97   |-05  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |33.875  |     |    | |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|500    |       |500         |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |98   |-05  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (6)            |39.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|2,500  |       |2,500       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |97   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |39.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |98   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |39.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |99   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (7)            |53.375  |     |    | |           |   |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|2,500  |       |2,500       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |98   |-07  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |53.375  |     |    | |           |   |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |99   |-07  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |53.375  |     |    | |           |   |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |00   |-07  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (7)            |48.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-17-|10-17|Common Stock|2,500  |       |2,500       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |99   |-08  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |48.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-17-|10-17|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |00   |-08  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |48.00   |     |    | |           |   |9-17-|10-17|Common Stock|1,250  |       |1,250       |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |01   |-08  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Option (7)            |36.625  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |00   |-09  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |36.625  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |01   |-09  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |36.625  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |02   |-09  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |36.625  |     |    | |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |03   |-09  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock Units (8)|1-for-1 |     |J   |V|143        |A  |     |     |Common Stock|143    |       |6,784       |D  |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
1.  Shares accrued under Ashland's Leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan as
of 5-31-01.
2.  Shares surrendered in payment of option exercise
price.
3.  Withholding of shares to satisfy tax withholding
obligation.
4.  Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's
Long-Term Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
5.  Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's
Amended  Stock Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax
withholding feature pursuant to the
plan.
6.  Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1993
Stock Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
7.  Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1997
Stock Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
8.  Common Stock Units acquired pursuant to Ashland's 1995 Deferred
Compensation Plan as of 5-31-01 and
includes transactions on or after 11-15-00, and exempt under Rule 16b-3(d).
The price of the Common Stock
Units on applicable valuation dates has varied from $31.938 - $43.850.  (One
(1) Common Stock Unit in the 1995
Deferred Compensation Plan is the equivalent of one (1) share of Ashland Common
Stock)
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
James A. Duquin