Key facts about William Thompson Sloper
- William Thompson Sloper was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on December 13, 1883.
- He was a stockbroker and estate manager returning from a three-month trip in Europe.
- He changed his original booking and sailed on Titanic after becoming friendly with the Fortune family during his travels.
- Sloper survived in Lifeboat 7 after Dorothy Gibson urged him to enter the boat with her party.
- A false newspaper report claimed he had worn women’s clothing to escape, and he denied the story for the rest of his life.
A New Britain stockbroker returning from Europe
William Thompson Sloper was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on December 13, 1883. His father, Andrew Jackson Sloper, had been president of the New Britain National Bank, and his mother was Ella Thomson Sloper. William went into finance, working as a stockbroker and estate manager in the same Connecticut community where his family was well known.
By early 1912 he had spent about three months travelling in Europe. During that trip he became friendly with the Canadian Fortune family and especially Alice Fortune. Sloper later recalled that he had already paid for passage home on Mauretania, but changed his plans and booked Titanic instead. His Titanic ticket was 113788, and he boarded at Southampton as a first class passenger.
Bridge, a late walk and the collision
On the evening of April 14, Sloper joined actress Dorothy Gibson, her mother and another passenger for bridge. In his later account, he remembered the game ending late in the evening and Dorothy suggesting a walk on deck before bed. The group was still awake when Titanic struck the iceberg.
Sloper’s recollection captures the uncertainty of the first minutes. The ship remained brightly lit, many passengers still trusted its reputation for safety, and getting into a small open boat in the dark did not immediately seem like the safer choice. That hesitation became important when the first lifeboats were lowered well below capacity.
Dorothy Gibson urged him into Lifeboat 7
Sloper reached the starboard boat deck with Dorothy Gibson and her party. He later wrote that First Officer William Murdoch invited passengers who wished to leave to enter the boat. Some stepped forward while others held back. Dorothy was determined to go and, according to Sloper, held onto his hand and insisted that he and Frederic Seward come with the women.
The boat was Lifeboat 7, generally regarded as the first standard lifeboat lowered from Titanic. Sloper remembered only 19 people being aboard when it left, although exact lifeboat totals can vary among later reconstructions. The key point is clear: the boat had room for many more people, but it left while the seriousness of the situation was still not understood by everyone on deck.
A false rumor followed him home
After Carpathia reached New York, Sloper tried to limit what he told reporters. A New York Herald story nevertheless identified him as a man who had supposedly escaped Titanic disguised in women’s clothing. The accusation was false, but it became attached to his name almost immediately.
Sloper considered legal action but, on advice from family and friends, did not pursue a lawsuit. He spent the rest of his life denying the story. His own account of the boat loading is very different: he described an early starboard lifeboat with open seats, an officer allowing passengers to enter, and Dorothy Gibson directly asking him to join her.
His life after Titanic
Sloper returned to Connecticut and continued in investment and estate work. He later became a managing partner of Judd & Co. in New Britain. In 1915 he married Helen Tallmadge Lindenberg and helped raise her three daughters from an earlier marriage.
In 1949 he published The Life and Times of Andrew Jackson Sloper, a family and local-history book that also drew on his own memories. William Thompson Sloper died on May 1, 1955, at age 71 and was buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Britain. By then more than four decades had passed since Titanic, but the false story printed in 1912 was still part of the public record he had spent years trying to correct.
Sources used for this biography
Sloper’s passenger details and later life are checked against specialist Titanic research. His own published recollection provides the clearest account of his travel plans, bridge game and entry into Lifeboat 7.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: William Thompson Sloper Birth, occupation, ticket, Lifeboat 7, newspaper rumor, marriage, career and death.
- William Sloper’s account of the Titanic disaster Sloper’s own recollection of changing ships, the evening of April 14 and boarding Lifeboat 7.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was William Thompson Sloper?
William Thompson Sloper was a 28-year-old American stockbroker and first class Titanic passenger from New Britain, Connecticut.
Which lifeboat did William Sloper survive in?
He survived in Lifeboat 7, one of the earliest boats lowered from Titanic.
Did William Sloper dress as a woman to escape Titanic?
No. A newspaper published that accusation after the sinking, but Sloper denied it throughout his life and his own account describes entering an early starboard lifeboat at Dorothy Gibson’s urging.
Who was with William Sloper before the collision?
He had been playing bridge with Dorothy Gibson and other companions shortly before the collision.
When did William Sloper die?
He died in Connecticut on May 1, 1955, at age 71.