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 Rouse, Jr., William L. 2201 Regency Road Suite 602 Lexington, Kentucky 40503 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 December 18, 2002 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) (X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below) 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 | | | | | | |2,000 (1) |D | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Common Stock | | | | | | |7,082 |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 (2) |37.50 | | | | | |7-28-|1-28-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | | |94 |04 | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (2) |33.00 | | | | | |7-27-|1-27-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | | |95 |05 | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (2) |43.125 | | | | | |7-31-|1-31-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | | |97 |07 | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (2) |52.75 | | | | | |7-30-|1-30-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | | |98 |08 | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (3) |46.76 | | | | | |7-31-|2-29-|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | | | | | | | | |02 |12 | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Common Stock Units (5)|1-for-1 |12-18|I (4| |1,500 |A | | |Common Stock|1,500 |$28.710|28,889 |D | | | |-02 |) | | | | | | | | | | | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| Explanation of Responses: 1. Represents shares of restricted common stock acquired pursuant to Ashland's stock incentive plans as approved by the shareholders and exempt pursuant to Rule 16b-3. 2. Stock options (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock) granted pursuant to Ashland's Deferred Compensation and Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors. The stock option includes a tax withholding feature pursuant to the plan. 3. Stock options (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock) under Ashland's Amended and Restated Incentive Plan. The stock option includes a tax withholding feature pursuant to the plan. 4. Intraplan transfer in Ashland's Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors. 5. Common Stock Units acquired pursuant to Ashland's Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors as of 12-18-02, payable in cash or stock upon termination in service, and exempt under Rule 16b-3. (One (1) Common Stock Unit in Ashland's Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors is the equivalent of one (1) share of Ashland Common Stock) SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON Amelia A. McCarty - Attorney - in - Fact DATE December 19, 2002