NATION

U.S. News & World Report, the Washington-based weekly news magazine, has named Richard C. Thompson publisher, replacing William G. Dunn. The magazine also named James C. Mason associate publisher.

Thompson, for the last two years, was director of advertising sales at Business Week magazine, where he had worked for 25 years. Mason was director of marketing at Business Week and formerly associate publisher of Goldhirsh Group, where he helped launch High Technology and Technology Illustrated magazines.

The moves are part of a series of changes at U.S. News. Last month, the magazine named Shelby Coffey III editor, in addition to several earlier staff changes. The moves all have followed the purchase of U.S. News last October by real estate magnate Mortimer B. Zuckerman.

Dunn, who was vice president and publisher of U.S. News since 1978, will remain on the corporate staff as a senior vice president, handling special advertising and marketing projects. He also will become a member of the company’s board of directors.

John Kapioltas was named chairman and chief executive of Sheraton Corp., the Boston-based hotel subsidiary of ITT Corp. He will retain the titles of president and chief operating officer. His predecessor, Howard P. James, is now president of the American Hotel & Motel Assn.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Former U.S. Atty. Gen. William French Smith has been elected a director of Los Angeles-based Pacific Lighting Corp., parent company of Southern California Gas Co. He had served as a director from 1967 to 1981, when he joined the Reagan Administration.

Gene W. Ray, president of La Jolla-based Titan Systems International Inc., has been named president and chief executive of Electronic Memories & Magnetics Corp., Encino. The two companies are merging. Ray replaces Walter D. Warren, who earlier announced plans to leave Electronic Memories.

Robert Kreek has been named senior vice president of 20th Century Fox Film Corp., Los Angeles. He will be responsible for motion picture financing, among other activities, the company said. Since 1981, Kreek had been vice president of film programming for Home Box Office.

CALIFORNIA

LSI Logic Corp. named George Wells, a former General Electric executive, as president and chief operating officer.

He succeeds Wilfred J. Corrigan, who remains chairman and chief executive of the Milpitas company, a maker of customized, high-performance integrated circuits.