UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                            The J.M. Smucker Company
                                (Name of Issuer)

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                         Common Stock, without par value
                           (Title Class of Securities)
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                                   832696 30 6
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                             Terry L. Overbey, Esq.
                                   Secretary
                          The Procter & Gamble Company
                           One Procter & Gamble Plaza
                              Cincinnati, OH 45202
                                 (513) 983-4463
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            (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
                     to Receive Notices and Communications)


                                 October 9, 2001
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             (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)


If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box |_|.

*    The  remainder  of this  cover  page  shall be filled  out for a  reporting
     person's  initial  filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
     securities,  and for any subsequent amendment containing  information which
     would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).



                                  SCHEDULE 13D


CUSIP No. 832696 30 6

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     1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
              S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

              The Procter & Gamble Company
              31-0411980
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     2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*  (A) |_|
                                                                 (B) |_|
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     3        SEC USE ONLY

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     4        SOURCE OF FUNDS*

              00
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     5        CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE IF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
              TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e)                                  |_|

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     6        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

              Ohio
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  NUMBER OF   7       SOLE VOTING POWER
   SHARES
                       0
              ------------------------------------------------------------------
BENEFICIALLY  8       SHARED VOTING POWER
   OWNED
                      5,457,756
              ------------------------------------------------------------------
  BY EACH     9       SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                      0
              ------------------------------------------------------------------
 REPORTING    10      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON
    WITH              0
              ------------------------------------------------------------------
     11       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                      5,457,756
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     12       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
              SHARES*                                                |_|

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     13       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

                      22.4%
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     14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                      CO
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ITEM 1. SECURITY AND ISSUER

        This statement on Schedule 13D (this "Statement")  relates to the shares
of common stock,  without par value (the "Shares") of The J.M.  Smucker Company,
an Ohio  corporation  (the "Company").  The principal  executive  offices of the
Company are located at Strawberry Lane, Orville, Ohio 44667


ITEM 2. IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND

        (a)-(c) and (f).  This  Statement is being filed by The Procter & Gamble
Company,  a corporation  incorporated  under the laws of Ohio ("P&G").  P&G is a
consumer  products company engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of a broad
range of  products  in many  countries  around  the  world.  The  address of its
principal  business and of its  principal  office is One Procter & Gamble Plaza,
Cincinnati,  Ohio 45202.  The name,  business  address,  citizenship and present
principal  occupation of each executive officer and director of P&G is set forth
in Annex A hereto.

        (d)-(e).  During the last five  years,  neither  P&G nor, to the best of
P&G's knowledge,  any person named in Annex A hereto (i) has been convicted in a
criminal  proceeding  (excluding traffic violations or similar  misdemeanors) or
(ii) has been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body
of competent  jurisdiction  and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject
to a  judgment,  decree  or final  order  enjoining  future  violations  of,  or
prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws
or finding any violation with respect to such laws.


ITEM 3. SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATION

        P&G has not expended, and does not expect to expend, funds in connection
with  its  beneficial  ownership  of the  Shares.  P&G has  obtained  beneficial
ownership  of the  Shares  in  connection  with  a  shareholders  agreement  and
irrevocable proxy (described in item 4).


ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION

        On October 9, 2001,  P&G, The Procter & Gamble Ohio Brands  Company,  an
Ohio  corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of P&G ("Newco") and the Company
entered into an  Agreement  and Plan of Merger (the  "Merger  Agreement")  which
provides, among other things, that, subject to certain conditions, Newco will be
spun off to the P&G  stockholders  and then will be immediately  merged with and
into the Company (the "Merger")  after which,  the Company will be the surviving
corporation (the "Surviving Corporation").


        Also on October 9, 2001, P&G entered into a  Shareholders  Agreement and
Irrevocable Proxy (the  "Shareholders  Agreement") with Timothy P. Smucker,  the
Reid S.  Smucker  Trust,  the Sarah L.  Smucker  Trust,  the Timothy P.  Smucker
Protected  Trust,  the Timothy P. Smucker  Exempt Trust,  the Willard E. Smucker
Trust,  the Willard E.  Smucker  Foundation,  Jennifer C.  Smucker,  the John E.
Smucker Trust,  Richard K. Smucker,  the Julie E. Smucker  Protected  Trust, the
Julie E. Smucker  Exempt  Trust,  Emily D. Smucker,  Julie E. Smucker UGMA,  the
Lorraine E. Smucker  Personal Trust,  Susan S. Wagstaff,  Reid & Susan Wagstaff,
the Susan S.  Wagstaff  Protected  Trust,  the Susan S.  Wagstaff  Exempt Trust,
Kimberly   A.   Wagstaff   UGMA  and  H.  Reid   Wagstaff   (collectively,   the
"Shareholders")  pursuant to which, among other things, the Shareholders  agreed
to vote the 5,457,756 Shares they currently own of record, as well as any shares
they  may  hereafter  acquire,   in  favor  of  the  Merger  Agreement  and  the
transactions  contemplated  thereby at the  meeting of the  shareholders  of the
Company to be called in connection with the Merger Agreement. As a result of the
Shareholders Agreement,  P&G may be deemed to share voting power over the Shares
beneficially owned by the Shareholders.  The Shareholders  Agreement is included
as Exhibit 2 hereto.

        The purpose of the Shareholders  Agreement is to facilitate and increase
the likelihood that the Merger will be consummated.  The shareholders that are a
party to the voting  agreement  hold  between 33% and 46% of the voting power of
the Company.

        In the Merger,  each  outstanding  share of common  stock of the Company
will be  converted  into the right to  receive a  specified  number of shares of
newly issued common stock of the Surviving Corporation  ("Surviving  Corporation
Common Stock"),  such specified  number subject to certain terms and adjustments
as set forth in the Merger  Agreement,  and each outstanding share of the common
stock of Newco will be converted into a right to receive one fiftieth  (1/50) of
a share of Surviving Corporation Common Stock.

        Except  as set  forth  above,  neither  P&G  nor,  to the  best of P&G's
knowledge, any of the persons listed in Annex A hereto have any present plans or
intentions which would result in or relate to any of the transactions  described
in subparagraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4 of this Statement.

        The foregoing  summaries of the Merger  Agreement  and the  Shareholders
Agreement  are  qualified in their  entirety by  reference  to such  agreements,
copies of which are  attached  as  exhibits  hereto and  incorporated  herein by
reference.


ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER

        (a) As a result  of the  Shareholders  Agreement,  P&G may be  deemed to
beneficially  own  the  5,457,756  Shares  currently  owned  of  record  by  the
Shareholders.  Such  Shares  represent  approximately  22.4% of the  outstanding
Shares (based upon the  24,404,754  Shares  reported by the Company to be issued
and outstanding as of October 9, 2001 in the Merger  Agreement).  To the best of
P&G's knowledge,  none of the persons listed in Annex A hereto beneficially owns
any Shares.

        (b)  P&G may be  deemed  to  share  voting  power  with  respect  to the
5,457,756 Shares subject to the Shareholders Agreement.

        (c) Except as  described  above,  neither  P&G nor, to the best of P&G's
knowledge,  any of the  persons  listed  in  Annex A  hereto  has  effected  any
transactions in the securities of the Company during the past sixty days.

        (d) and (e). Not applicable.


ITEM 6. CONTRACTS, ARRANGEMENTS, UNDERSTANDINGS OR RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESPECT
        TO SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER.

        Other than as described in this Statement,  neither P&G nor, to the best
of P&G's knowledge, any of the persons named in Annex A hereto is a party to any
contract,  arrangement,  understanding  or  relationship  with  respect  to  any
securities of the Company, including but not limited to transfer or Shareholders
of any of  the  securities,  finder's  fees,  joint  ventures,  loan  or  option
agreements, puts or calls, guarantees of profits, divisions of profits or losses
or the giving or withholding of proxies.


ITEM 7. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS

        Exhibit 1   Merger Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1
                    of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company on
                    October 12, 2001)

        Exhibit 2   Shareholders  Agreement  (incorporated  by reference to
                    Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K filed by the
                    Company on October 12, 2001)






         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information  set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.


October 17, 2001


                                            THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY


                                            By: /s/ TERRY L. OVERBEY
                                                -------------------------------
                                                Name: Terry L. Overbey
                                                Title: Secretary





                                     Annex A

        EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY

        The name,  present  principal  occupation or  employment,  and the name,
principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which
such employment is conducted, of each of the executive officers and directors of
The  Procter & Gamble  Company  is set forth  below.  Unless  noted  below,  the
principal  business  address of each of the executive  officers and directors is
One Procter & Gamble Plaza,  Cincinnati,  Ohio 45202. Each executive officer and
each director of The Procter & Gamble Company is a citizen of the United States,
except Jorge P. Montoya,  President-Global Food & Beverage and Latin America and
Ernesto Zedillo, Director, who are citizens of Peru and Mexico, respectively.



                                POSITION/PRESENT PRINCIPAL
                                OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT NAME
NAME                            AND BUSINESS ADDRESS
------------------------------  -------------------------------------------
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
------------------------------
A.G. Lafley                     President and CEO

John E. Pepper                  Chairman of the Board

Richard L. Antoine              Global Human Resources Officer

Bruce L. Byrnes                 President-Global Beauty Care
                                 and Global Health Care

R. Kerry Clark                  President-Global Market
                                 Development & Business Operations

Stephen N. David                Chief Information Officer
                                 and Business-to-Business Officer

R. Keith Harrison, Jr.          Global Product Supply Officer

James J. Johnson                Chief Legal Officer

Mark D. Ketchum                 President-Global Baby, Feminine
                                 and Family Care

Robert A. McDonald              President-Global Fabric
                                 & Home Care

Jorge Montoya                   President-Global Food &
                                 Beverage and Latin America

Charlotte R. Otto               Global External Relations Officer

Michael J. Power                Global Business Services Officer

James R. Stengel                Global Marketing Officer




                                POSITION/PRESENT PRINCIPAL
                                OCCUPATION OR EMPLOYMENT NAME
NAME                            AND BUSINESS ADDRESS
------------------------------  -------------------------------------------
DIRECTORS
------------------------------

Norman R. Augustine             Chairman of the Executive Committee
                                Lockheed Martin Corporation
                                6801 Rockledge Drive
                                Bethesda, MD  20817

Donald R. Beall                 Retired Chairman & CEO
                                Rockwell International Corporation
                                5 Civic Plaza, Suite 320
                                Newport Beach, CA 92660

Scott D. Cook                   Chairman of the Executive Committee
                                Intuit Inc.
                                2632 Marine Way, MS 2475
                                Mountain View, CA  94043

Domenico De Sole                President & Chief Executive Officer
                                Gucci Services Limited
                                4 Grafton Street
                                London W1S 4EF U.K.

Richard J. Ferris               Retired Co-Chairman
                                Doubletree Corporation
                                1436 Ridge Road
                                Northbrook, IL 60062

Joseph T. Gorman                Retired Chairman of the Board
                                TRW, Inc.
                                Lakepoint Office Park, Suite 410
                                3201 Enterprise Parkway
                                Beechwood, OH 44122

A. G. Lafley                    President and Chief Executive Officer
                                The Procter & Gamble Company

Charles R. Lee                  Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer
                                Verizon Communications
                                1095 Avenue of the Americas
                                39th Floor
                                New York, NY 10036

Lynn M. Martin                  Advisor
                                Deloitte & Touche LLP
                                Two Prudential Plaza
                                180 N. Stetson Avenue, Suite 2000
                                Chicago, IL 60601

John E. Pepper                  Chairman of the Board
                                The Procter & Gamble Company

Jonathan A. Rodgers             President
                                Discovery Networks,U.S.
                                7700 Wisconsin Avenue
                                Bethesda, MD 20814

John F. Smith, Jr.              Chairman of the Board
                                General Motors Corporation
                                Mail Code 482-C39-B10
                                300 Renaissance Center
                                Detroit, MI 48265

Ralph Snyderman, M.D.           Chancellor for Health Affairs and
                                Executive Dean, Duke University
                                School of Medicine; President and
                                CEO, Duke University Health System, Inc.
                                Davison Building, Grreen Zone
                                Room 106
                                Durham, NC 27710

Robert D. Storey                Partner, Thompson Hine LLP
                                3900 Key Tower
                                127 Public Square
                                Cleveland, OH 44114

Marina v.N. Whitman, Ph.D       Professor of Business
                                Administration and Public Policy,
                                The University of Michigan
                                Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
                                411 Lorch Hall
                                611 Tappan Street
                                Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Ernesto Zedillo                 Retired, Former President of Mexico
                                Agua 110
                                Col. Jardines del Pedregal
                                Deleg. Alvaro Obregon
                                01900
                                Mexico D.F.