Richard S. Robinson; Former Times Mirror Co. Vice President

Richard S. Robinson, a former vice president of Times Mirror Co. and vice president and assistant to the publisher of The Times, has died. He was 87.

Robinson, who retired in 1974 after 37 years with the newspaper, died Tuesday night in Newport Beach, where he had lived for many years.

Born in Pasadena, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College, UCLA and USC and began his career in motion picture production and sales and promotion for several companies. He joined The Times in 1937 as a classified advertising salesman and soon moved to personnel.

After a four-year leave to serve in both the Army and Navy during World War II, Robinson became assistant to the director of personnel for Times Mirror Co. in 1946 and director in 1956.

Robinson was named assistant to Publisher Otis Chandler in 1961 and a Times vice president in 1968. He was elected corporate vice president in 1970.

As Chandler’s assistant, Robinson supervised promotion, public relations and personnel sections of the newspaper and frequently served as ambassador to the community. He presented gifts to charitable organizations from the Times Fund and spoke to such organizations as the California Employment Agencies Assn. on “Your Showcase--The Los Angeles Times.”

Survivors include Robinson’s wife, May, and two sons, Richard Jr. and Jerome.