Harold Whiting Slauson

Born in Middletown, New York, Harold Whiting Slauson was an American writer and engineer with a strong interest in the mechanics of modern transport. Available records indicate that he graduated from the Cornell University School of Engineering in 1904, and later wrote extensively about automotive and marine technology.

Slauson contributed technical pieces to Scientific American and wrote books such as The Motor Boat: Its Selection, Care and Use and The Gasoline Motor. His work focused on explaining engines, vehicles, and maintenance in a straightforward way, making complicated machinery easier for general readers to understand.

That mix of practical knowledge and plain language gives his writing much of its charm today. For readers interested in the early age of cars, trucks, and motorboats, his books offer both instruction and a vivid glimpse of a world learning how to live with new machines.