Politician John W. Slayton - New Castle PA

John W. Slayton (1863-1935), born near Charlottesville, Virginia, received little formal schooling and was primarily self-educated. Slayton, a carpenter by trade, was married and eventually fathered five children. In 1897 he became an active Socialist and a few years later he moved to New Castle. In 1901 he joined the new Socialist Party of America (SPA) and was soon elected to the New Castle City Council. Slayton became well-known as he traveled the country as a public speaker and union supporter. He served as the campaign manager for Walter Tyler, a Socialist who was elected as the mayor of New Castle in 1911. In early 1913 he moved to the Pittsburgh area and continued his endeavors to further Socialist causes. Slayton unsuccessfully ran for many prominent public offices during his day, including for the Mayor of Pittsburgh, the Governor of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Congress. He died in Mount Lebanon in June 1935 at the age of seventy-two. (c1900)