Oscar D. Skelton (1878 - 1941)

Oscar Douglas Skelton was a Canadian professor, author, civil servant, and politician. 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. 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.