Casper Yost

Who was Casper Yost?

Casper Salathiel Yost was the longtime editor of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, where he started working in 1889. He was the founder of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and was influential in developing its code of ethics. Yost was a prominent member of the St. Louis Civitan Club, serving as president of the board of governors for many years before his death.

In 1916 Yost published what he called “…facts in relation to some phenomena …” related to the “occult manifestations” of Patience Worth, a spirit entity channeled by Pearl Curran from 1913 through 1937. This book titled Patience Worth: A Psychic Mystery brought the novels, plays, and poems of Patience Worth to the attention of the general public.

The liberty ship SS Casper S. Yost, launched in 1944, was named for him. He was born in Sedalia, Missouri, and died in St. Louis.