As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2001.

Registration No. 33-17113

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

__________ 

POST-EFFECTIVE
AMENDMENT NO. 3
TO
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

__________

 

CenturyTel, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Louisiana 
(State or other jurisdiction 
of incorporation or organization)

72-0651161
(I.R.S. Employer 
Identification No.)

100 CenturyTel Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71203
(Address, including zip code, of
Principal Executive Offices)

Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
(Full title of the plan)
__________ 

Harvey P. Perry
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer,
General Counsel and Secretary
CenturyTel, Inc.
100 CenturyTel Drive
Monroe, Louisiana 71203
(318) 388-9000
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Margaret F. Murphy
Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P.
201 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70170-5100

 

        The registrant hereby deregisters 960,190 shares of its common stock, $1.00 par value per share, and associated preferred stock purchase rights (collectively, the "Shares"), which were registered by the registrant on its Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Registration No. 33-17113) (the "Registration Statement") for issuance through the Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). As indicated in its proxy statement for the 2001 annual meeting of its stockholders, the registrant has replaced the Plan with the CenturyTel 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Of the Shares registered by the registrant for issuance through the Plan, 960,190 Shares remain unissued as of the date of the filing of this Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

 

        The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Monroe, State of Louisiana, on August 20, 2001.

 CenturyTel, Inc.

By: /s/ Glen F. Post, III

Glen F. Post, III
Vice Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Title

Date

                            *                           
Clarke M. Williams

 Director and Chairman of the Board

 

 August 20, 2001

            /s/ Glen F. Post, III            
Glen F. Post, III

 Director, Vice Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.

 Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 August 20, 2001

           /s/ Harvey P. Perry            
Harvey P. Perry

 Director, Executive Vice President,
Chief Administrative Officer,
General Counsel and Secretary

 

 August 20, 2001

        /s/ William R. Boles, Jr.         
William R. Boles, Jr.

Director

 

 August 20, 2001

              /s/ Virginia Boulet            
Virginia Boulet

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
Ernest Butler, Jr.

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
Calvin Czeschin

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
James B. Gardner

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

            /s/ W. Bruce Hanks           
W. Bruce Hanks

 Director 

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
R.L. Hargrove, Jr.

 Director 

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
Johnny Hebert

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
F. Earl Hogan

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
C.G. Melville, Jr.

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001

                            *                           
Jim D. Reppond

 Director

 

 August 20, 2001
*By:            /s/ Glen F. Post, III               

August 20, 2001

Glen F. Post, III
  Attorney-in-fact