Scholastic Chairman And CEO Richard Robinson, Jr. Passes Away

(RTTNews) - Scholastic Corp. (SCHL), a children's publishing, education and media company, announced that its Chairman and CEO Richard Robinson, Jr. passed away on Saturday unexpectedly.

Under a pre-authorized framework for the continued success of the company, James Barge, Scholastic's lead independent director, will work with Iole Lucchese, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer; Andrew Hedden, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and Kenneth Cleary, Chief Financial Officer to ensure that all day-to-day operations continue without interruption.

The company's Class A shareholders and the board of directors will be meeting independently to determine its direction, including the appointment of an interim operating head.

Scholastic noted that Robinson, 84 years old, had been in excellent health and had been overseeing Scholastic's long-term strategic direction and day-to-day operations for the better part of five decades.

The Board of Directors in a statement said, "We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dick Robinson. 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."