Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  THOMPSON PETER J
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/22/2009		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SCHWEITZER MAUDUIT INTERNATIONAL INC [SWM]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O SCHWEITZER-MAUDUIT INTERNAT'L, INC., 100 NORTH POINT CENTER EAST, SUITE 600		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Treas, CFO & Strat Plan Off.
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

ALPHARETTA 30022		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
SWM Common Stock 27,612 (1)
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (Right to buy) 01/08/2002(2) 01/07/2011 SWM Common Stock 9,528 $ 19.35 D  
Employee Stock Option (Right to buy) 01/15/2003(3) 01/14/2012 SWM Common Stock 6,660 $ 23.045 D  
Employee Stock Option (Right to buy) 01/02/2004(4) 01/01/2013 SWM Common Stock 15,900 $ 24.525 D  
Employee Stock Option (Right to buy) 01/02/2005(5) 01/01/2014 SWM Common Stock 9,650 $ 30.165 D  
Employee Stock Option (Right to buy) 01/03/2006(6) 01/02/2015 SWM Common Stock 12,300 $ 33.55 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
THOMPSON PETER J
C/O SCHWEITZER-MAUDUIT INTERNAT'L, INC.
100 NORTH POINT CENTER EAST, SUITE 600
ALPHARETTA 30022		       Treas, CFO & Strat Plan Off.  

Signatures

Honor Winks as Attorney in Fact for Pete Thompson 01/26/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Includes 3,377 shares of SWM common stock acquired through the 401(k) Plan.
(2) Grant became fully exercisable on 1/8/2004.
(3) Grant became fully exercisable on 1/15/2005.
(4) Grant became fully exercisable on 1/2/2006
(5) Grant became fully exercisable on 1/2/2007.
(6) Grant became fully exercisable on 1/3/2008.

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