Emily Vanderbilt Sloane was born on September 17, 1874 to Emily Thorn Vanderbilt (1852–1946) and W. & J. Sloane heir William Douglas Sloane (1844–1915).
She was the granddaughter of William Henry Vanderbilt.

She was raised in New York, and summered at Elm Court, a mammoth shingle-style cottage in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Uninterested in the débutante social circles of her peers, she preferred playing the piano at Sunday school.
She took a keen interest in religion, delivering small sermons to her brothers and sisters, and later considered her faith important to mask the guilt of being born into a wealthy family.

As an adult, Emily regularly attended opera and public lectures, and employed a social secretary.
She disliked alcohol and tobacco and forbade either of them to be consumed in her house.
Emily Vanderbilt Sloane was born on September 17, 1874 to Emily Thorn Vanderbilt (1852–1946) and W. & J. Sloane heir William Douglas Sloane (1844–1915). She was the granddaughter of William Henry Vanderbilt.
She was raised in New York, and summered at Elm Court, a mammoth shingle-style cottage in Lenox, Massachusetts. Uninterested in the débutante social circles of her peers, she preferred playing the piano at Sunday school. She took a keen interest in religion, delivering small sermons to her brothers and sisters, and later considered her faith important to mask the guilt of being born into a wealthy family.
As an adult, Emily regularly attended opera and public lectures, and employed a social secretary. She disliked alcohol and tobacco and forbade either of them to be consumed in her house.
Emily Vanderbilt Sloane