Leslie Sloat, an alumnus of Princeton University, class of 1929, swiftly continued his theological education by joining the inaugural class at Westminster Seminary. He graduated in 1932, and following his ordination in 1933, he ministered to the congregation in Denton, New York, within the PCUSA. A pivotal figure in the founding of the Presbyterian Church of America (later renamed Orthodox Presbyterian Church) in 1936, Sloat also served as pastor of Knox PCA/OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland.
His tenure at Westminster Seminary began in 1939 as the institution’s first librarian, marking the start of a multifaceted forty-two-year career that included roles as Comptroller, Registrar, Dean of Students, and Instructor in Greek, until his retirement in 1981. Notably, between 1946 to 1958, Sloat also devoted his efforts as the managing editor of the Presbyterian Guardian. Further solidifying his legacy within the church, he served as the moderator at the Seventeenth (1950) General Assembly.
Upon his death on June 14, 1988, New Horizons commemorated Leslie Sloat’s unwavering dedication, remarking that his “quiet contribution of steady labor was significant to the maintenance of both Westminster Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in their early years of development.” His enduring influence and steadfast work continue to be recognized as foundational to the growth and preservation of these institutions.