Slaught, born in the Finger Lakes area, left his place of birth when he was 13 years old, due to the bankruptcy of the family's farm.

After teaching some years at the Peddie School (Hightstown, New Jersey), he received in 1892 a fellowship from the University of Chicago,[2] where he was awarded a PhD in 1898.

Slaught remained as professor at Chicago for the rest of his academic life, till his retirement in 1931.

[4] He did not do research in mathematics, but his inspired teaching encouraged a lot of young people to follow a career in this matter.

He stated that the purpose of the American Mathematical Monthly is "to stimulate activity on the part of college teachers ... that may lead to production".