John Ernest Bechdolt (July 13, 1884 – December 28, 1954) was an American short story writer, novelist, and journalist. He wrote under the name Jack Bechdolt as well as his full name. He worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1909 to 1916, after which he moved to New York City, where he worked for Munsey Publications for a year before freelancing. His first novel, The Torch, was serialized in the magazine Argosy in 1920. Several of his stories were adapted into films.
John Ernest Bechdolt | |
|---|---|
 Jack Bechdolt of the Seattle Cartoonists' Club shown in caricature, in the club's 1911 book The Cartoon; A Reference Book of Seattle's Successful Men. The club made its members look like pirates. | |
| Born | July 13, 1884 Mankato, Minnesota, U.S.[1] |
| Died | December 28, 1954 (aged 70) Pinebluff, North Carolina, U.S.[1] |
| Pen name | Jack Bechdolt |
| Occupation |
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| Genre | Science fiction, Fantasy |
| Spouse | Mabel G.[2] |
Bechdolt served as a solicitor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1910. During that time, he was also drawing; he was listed as a member of the Seattle Cartoonists' Club in their 1911 book The Cartoon; A Reference Book of Seattle's Successful Men. He signed one of the illustrations in the book, a caricature of a painter.
Bechdolt was born in Mankato, Minnesota. His father, Adolph F. Bechdolt (1846–1938), was an educator and university professor. His older brother, Frederick R. Bechdolt (1874–1950), was also a journalist and writer.[3] Bechdolt died on December 28, 1954, at Pinebluff Sanitarium in Pinebluff, North Carolina.[4] He was buried in Southern Pines, North Carolina.[5]
Books
edit- The Front-Page Girl (1929)
- The Lost Vikings (1931)
- The Vanishing Hounds (1941)
- ‘’Junior Air Raid Wardens’’ (1942)
- The Torch (1948)
- On the Air: A Story of Television, a novel (E. P. Dutton, 1950)
- The Modern Handy Book for Boys (1933)
References
edit- ^ a b Aberdeen Daily News, 1954-12-31 page 6, Aberdeen, South Dakota.
- ^ from 1910 Seattle Census
- ^ "Pioneer Educator Resigns After Nineteen Years of Service at Whatcom High School". The Bellingham Herald. Bellingham, Washington. May 3, 1923. p. 1. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Jack Bechdolt, 70, Short-Story Writer". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. December 31, 1954. p. 6. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Jack Bechdolt Rites". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. Associated Press. December 31, 1954. p. 3. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
Additional sources
edit- Bleiler, Everett (1948). The Checklist of Fantastic Literature. Chicago: Shasta Publishers. pp. 44. OCLC 1113926.
- Clute, John; Peter Nicholls (1995). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 101. ISBN 0-312-13486-X.
- Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 34. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.