Oscar D. Skelton

Oscar Douglas Skelton
Born	July 13, 1878(1878-07-13) Orangeville, Ontario
Died	January 28, 1941(1941-01-28) (aged 62) Ottawa, Ontario

Oscar Douglas Skelton (July 13, 1878 – January 28, 1941) was a Canadian professor, author, civil servant, and politician.

He earned his M.A. from Queen's University in 1900, and his doctorate in political economy from the University of Chicago in 1908. He taught at Queen's University until 1925, where he also served in the university's administration. Skelton served as Chair of the university's board of trustees.

He was the author of two books in the Chronicles of Canada series: The Day of Sir Wilfrid Laurier: A Chronicle of Our Own Times and The Railway Builders: A Chronicle of Overland Highways. He later became undersecretary of state for Foreign Affairs, replacing an aging Joseph Pope in 1925. He became one of Mackenzie King's most trusted advisors during the inter-war era.

Skelton served as a member of the 2nd Council of the Northwest Territories until his death in 1941. His death, coming in the midst of wartime, hit Prime Minister King very hard; the two, who shared similar educational backgrounds, had been close. Historian John English, in his biography of Lester Pearson, wrote that Skelton played the major role in the building of Canada's External Affairs department.^[1]

References

1. ^ Shadow of Heaven: The Life of Lester Pearson, volume 1, by John English.

• Oscar Douglas Skelton biography

External links

• Oscar Douglas Skelton at The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Works by Oscar D. Skelton at Project Gutenberg

Persondata
Name	Skelton, Oscar Douglas
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 13, 1878
Place of birth	Orangeville, Ontario
Date of death	January 28, 1941
Place of death	Ottawa, Ontario