author
Oscar D. (Oscar Douglas) Skelton
1878–1941
A key architect of Canada’s early independent foreign policy, this economist-turned-civil servant helped shape how the country saw its place in the world. He also wrote widely on Canadian history, politics, and economics, bringing big national questions to a broad audience.
3 Audiobooks
The Canadian Dominion: A Chronicle of Our Northern Neighbor
by Oscar D. (Oscar Douglas) Skelton
The Day of Sir Wilfrid Laurier: A Chronicle of Our Own Time
by Oscar D. (Oscar Douglas) Skelton
The Railway Builders: A Chronicle of Overland Highways
by Oscar D. (Oscar Douglas) Skelton
About the author
Born in Orangeville, Ontario, in 1878, Oscar Douglas Skelton studied at Queen’s University and later earned a doctorate in political economy at the University of Chicago. He returned to Queen’s as a professor, where he built a strong reputation as a writer and thinker on Canadian economics, history, and public affairs.
Skelton moved from academic life into government service and became one of the most influential officials in Ottawa. As head of the Department of External Affairs from 1925 until his death in 1941, he advised prime ministers including William Lyon Mackenzie King and argued that Canada should pursue a more independent foreign policy shaped by Canadian interests rather than automatic loyalty to Britain.
Alongside his public service, he remained a prolific author. His work helped explain Canada to Canadians at a time when the country was defining its identity more clearly, and his legacy endures in the history of Canadian diplomacy and public thought.