Sechrist, Edward Lloyd

   (1873–1953)

   Beekeeper, amateur journalist residing in Washington, D.C., and occasional correspondent of HPL. Sechrist, a member of the UAPA, visited HPL in Providence in early 1924 (see SL1.292) then visited HPL in New York on November 3, 1924. He accompanied HPL during much of the latter’s trip to Washington on April 11, 1925, and met HPL again in Washington on May 6, 1929. HPL noted (letter to Lillian D.Clark, [May 6, 1929]; ms., JHL) that his poem “The Outpost” (1929) made use of the tales about Zimbabwe told to him by Sechrist, who had actually been to the ruins of the African city. Two late letters published in SL(April 15, 1936, and February 14, 1937) mistakenly addressed to “Arthur F.Sechrist” (HPL’s salutation is to “Ar-Eph-Ess” or RFS) are in fact to Richard F.Searight.