Times Names Raines as Successor To Lelyveld as Executive Editor

Howell Raines, the editor of the editorial page of The New York Times for the last eight years, has been chosen to succeed Joseph Lelyveld as executive editor of the newspaper in September. The change was announced yesterday by Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The Times and chairman of The New York Times Company.

Mr. Raines, 58, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, joined The Times 23 years ago. Since then he has been a foreign correspondent, a national and Washington correspondent and chief of the Washington bureau before becoming editor of the editorial page in 1993.

Mr. Lelyveld, 64, has been executive editor for seven years, a tenure in which The Times has won 12 Pulitzer Prizes, introduced color to its pages, added new sections and greatly expanded its national circulation. He is stepping down seven months ahead of The Times's mandatory retirement age for top executives.

''I am extraordinarily pleased that we have in Howell Raines a superb and accomplished leader who has demonstrated an unfailing commitment to the highest standards of integrity and journalism,'' Mr. Sulzberger said. ''Howell will continue to improve the news report of The Times and build on Joe's outstanding accomplishments.''

Mr. Sulzberger said that Mr. Lelyveld, who joined The Times nearly 40 years ago and served in a wide range of foreign and national reporting assignments and as an editor for 17 years, had, as executive editor, ''shepherded The Times through one of the most momentous periods in its 150-year history.''

The publisher added, ''His contributions to the quality of our news report have been stunning.''

In remarks to the news staff late yesterday afternoon, Mr. Sulzberger said that the transition in September would give Mr. Raines time to reacquaint himself with the newsroom after eight years of overseeing editorial page opinions, the Op-Ed page and the letters to the editor columns. A successor to Mr. Raines is expected to be named in the coming months.