CIK # 074046
                                FEIN # 362048898   -----------------------------
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                                                   -----------------------------
 
                                UNITED STATES 
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                              (Amendment No. 7)*

                        Oil-Dri Corporation of America
           _________________________________________________________
                               (Name of Issuer)

                                 Common Stock
           _________________________________________________________
                        (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   677864100
                          __________________________
                                (CUSIP Number)

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [_].  (A fee 
is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file 
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of 
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent 
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.) 
(See Rule 13d-7).

*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 the 
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in 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).

SEC 1745 (10-88)

 
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 677864100                                      PAGE 2 OF 5 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
      S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
              ARIEL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.                John W. Rogers, Jr.
              IRS ID # 36-3219058                           SSN # ###-##-####
                           
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
          Not Applicable                                        (a) [_]
                                                                
                                                                (b) [_]
                                                 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3    SEC USE ONLY

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
                                   
            Illinois Corporation

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     5    SOLE VOTING POWER
                             Ariel - 368,035           Rogers - 0
     NUMBER  OF              
                         
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                     6    SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY              Ariel - 6,610             Rogers - 0 
                          
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH          7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER    
                             Ariel - 393,570           Rogers - 0
    REPORTING             
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                     8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH                  Ariel - 0                 Rogers - 0
                          
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
                         Ariel - 393,570               Rogers - 0

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
           
                Not Applicable 
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
                         Ariel - 393,570/5,193,150 = 7.58%   Rogers - 0%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
                           Ariel - IA                  Rogers - HC

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
* This report is being made on behalf of John W. Rogers, Jr., President and 
principal shareholder of Ariel Capital Management, Inc., who may be deemed to 
have beneficial ownership of the securities of the issuer. Mr. Rogers disclaims 
beneficial ownership of shares held by Ariel Capital Management, Inc.

                                                                   12/31/96
                                                       Date:   -----------------
                                                                  page 3 of 5

Item 1(a)       Name of Issuer:

                Oil-Dri Corporation of America
                ------------------------------

Item 1(b)       Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                520 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
                --------------------------------------------

Item 2(a)       Name of Person Filing:

                Ariel Capital Management, Inc.
                ------------------------------

Item 2(b)       Address of Principal Business Office:

                307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
                --------------------------------------------

Item 2(c)       Citizenship:

                an Illinois corporation
                ------------------------------

Item 2(d)       Title of Class of Securities:

                Common Stock
                ------------------------------

Item 2(e)       CUSIP Number:

                           677864100
                ------------------------------

Item 3.         This statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(d) or 13d-2(b) 
                and the person filing is an investment adviser registered under
                section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Item 4.         Ownership.

                (a)  Amount Beneficially Owned:
                        (See Page 2, No. 9)                     
                     --------------------------

                                                     Date:         12/31/96
                                                           ---------------------
                                                             Page 4 of 5

               (b)  Percent of Class:  

                              (See Page 2, No. 11)
                    ---------------------------------------

               (c)  Number of shares as to which each person has:

                    (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote 
                          (See Page 2, No. 5)
                          -------------------
                         
                    (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote 
                          (See Page 2, No. 6)
                          -------------------
                         
                    (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                          of (See Page 2, No. 7)
                             -------------------

                    (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                          of (See Page 2, No. 8)
                             -------------------

Item 5.        Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

                  If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of
               the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the
               beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
               securities, check the following: [_]

Item 6.        Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

                  All securities reported upon this Schedule are owned by
               investment advisory clients of Ariel Capital Management, Inc., no
               one of which to the knowledge of Ariel Capital Management, Inc.
               owns more than 5% of the class.

Item 7.        Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company.

               Not Applicable.
               ---------------

Item 8.        Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

               Not Applicable.
               ---------------

 
                                                           Date:  12/31/96
                                                                ---------------
                                                                  Page 5 of 5

                                   SIGNATURE

     The undersigned hereby agree that this statement is being filed on behalf 
of each of them and hereby certify, after reasonable inquiry and to the best of 
their knowledge and  belief, that the information set forth in this statement is
true, complete and correct.

                                       ARIEL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

                                       By: 
                                          ---------------------------
                                            Eric T. McKissack
                                            Co-Chief Investment Officer and
                                            Senior Vice President

                                       JOHN W. ROGERS, JR.*    
                                       --------------------
                                       JOHN W. ROGERS, JR.

                                       *By: 
                                          ---------------------------
                                            Eric T. McKissack

DATED: February 10, 1997
       -----------------

     *Eric T. McKissack signs this document on behalf of John W, Rogers, Jr.
pursuant to the power of attorney attached as Exhibit 1 to the Schedule 13G
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about January 10, 1994,
on behalf of Ariel Capital Management, Inc. and John W. Rogers, Jr. with respect
to Oshkosh B'Gosh, Incorporated, which said power of attorney is hereby
incorporated by reference.