Robert F. MacLeod, 85, an All-American football player at Dartmouth College in the 1930s who went on to a career in magazine publishing, died Monday, Jan. 13, at a care facility in Santa Monica, Calif., of complications from a stroke.
Born in Glen Ellyn, Mr. MacLeod was a standout on offense and defense for the Dartmouth team coached by Earl “Red” Blaik. He was an All-American in 1937 and 1938.
Mr. MacLeod was also a gifted basketball player. He was a shooting guard and made the All-Eastern team at Dartmouth. He briefly played professional basketball for the Chicago Bruins, his family said.
After college football, Mr. MacLeod was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, a former National Football League team. He was traded in the preseason to the Chicago Bears and played for legendary coach George Halas.
Mr. MacLeod played one season for the Bears. When World War II began, he became a fighter pilot for the Marines. He was discharged with the rank of major.
After the war Mr. MacLeod started a career in magazine publishing.
By the late 1950s he was vice president and advertising director of 13 Hearst publications, including House Beautiful and Good Housekeeping.
He left Hearst in 1961 to become publisher of Seventeen magazine. Two years later, he moved to California.
In 1963 he joined Petersen Publishing Co. as editor and publisher of Teen magazine and stayed with the magazine until 1994.
Mr. MacLeod is survived by his wife, Louise Jardine MacLeod; three sons, Robert F. Jr., Edward J. Ian and Dana MacLeod; a daughter, Merrill MacLeod Stendeck; and 10 grandchildren.
Services were held Saturday in California.
