Dear Scholastic Awards Community,

With a heavy heart, I am writing to share the sad news that Scholastic Inc. Chairman & CEO Dick Robinson passed away suddenly over the weekend. On behalf of the Alliance and our many partners, I offer my deepest condolences to Dick’s family—his sons Ben and Reece, his siblings, Sue Morrill, Barbara Buckland, Bill Robinson, and Florence Ford, and their entire families. I also extend my sympathies to my friends and colleagues at Scholastic Inc.

For nearly 50 years, Dick has led the company founded by his father, Maurice R. Robinson, and throughout his life, he was a guiding light for our Awards program, which his father established in 1923. For the Alliance, he was more than a patron or benefactor. Through his unwavering support and advocacy on behalf of creative teens and their educators, he inspired everyone involved with the Awards to unite around our shared mission.

Whenever I spoke with Dick, he would inevitably refer to the “grassroots” nature of our program. By this, he meant that this vast national enterprise achieves its staggering scale through the work of passionate individuals—students, educators, staff members, partners, alumni, and supporters. Dick believed so strongly in this community and in what we all accomplish, each and every year, together.

Today, we mourn the loss of an exceptional leader and celebrate his towering legacy. As we do so, I invite you to join me in honoring Dick the best way I know how: By recommitting myself to offering “the great encouragement” of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to new generations of creative teens in the years and decades ahead.

With appreciation,

Christopher Wisniewski
Executive Director, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers | Scholastic Art & Writing Awards