Richard Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. presided over such bestsellers as the “Harry Potter” novels and “The Hunger Games” series along with a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84.
Richard Robinson poses at the 2019 PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, in this Tuesday, May 21, 2019, file photo. Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. presided over such bestsellers as J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter” novels and Suzanne Collins' “The Hunger Games” series along with a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84.
The children's publishing giant announced that Robinson died Saturday, but did not immediately provide a cause. The publisher said he had been in excellent“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dick Robinson," Scholastic's board of directors said in a statement."Dick was a true visionary in the world of children’s books and an unrelenting advocate for children’s literacy and education with a remarkable passion his entire life.
A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Harvard College, Robinson was the son of Maurice R. Robinson, who founded Scholastic as a classroom magazine in 1920. The younger Robinson worked as a teacher and bricklayer, among other jobs, before joining Scholastic in the mid-1960s. He was named president of in 1974, CEO in 1975 and board chair in 1982.
Scholastic also publishes such popular series as Dav Pilkey's “Captain Underpants” and Norman Bridwell's “Clifford the Big Red Dog," and has long been established in classrooms through its clubs, newsletters and other programs, including a partnership with novelist James Patterson.