Richard E. Berlin, 92; Served as Chief Executive for Hearst

RYE, N.Y. —  Richard E. Berlin, president and chief executive officer during much of the financially troubled years of the Hearst Corp., has died at his home here. He was 92.

Berlin, who died Tuesday, had worked for the Hearst organization for 54 years by the time of his retirement in 1973, a spokesman for Hearst, one of the nation’s larger publishing companies, said.

Berlin, a former advertising manager of Smart Set and McClures magazines, was William Randolph Hearst Sr.’s personal selection to take over his publishing empire in 1941 when the Hearst Corp. fell upon hard financial times. Berlin was credited with a sweeping reorganization that saw the elimination of some magazines and newspapers and the merger of others.

His efforts brought him a promotion to president of the corporation in 1943. After Hearst’s death in 1951, he was named chief executive officer. He held both titles until his retirement.