Books, Big Ideas, Q&As

O.D. Skelton was ‘the most influential public servant in Canadian history,’ says Hillmer

Norman Hillmer talks about his book, O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition, one of the five best political books of the year.

'Once the archives of the Department of External Affairs were opened, and even before, it was clear that Skelton was everywhere that mattered in the public service of the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s,' said Mr. Hillmer, who is a history and international affairs professor at Carleton UniversityPhotograph courtesy of Carleton University

Opinion

BY KATE MALLOY

April 18, 2016

OTTAWA—Norman Hillmer says O.D. Skelton was the most influential public servant in Canadian history whose importance in Ottawa was unparalleled. On paper, Skelton was prime minister Mackenzie King's foreign policy adviser in 1923 and the permanent head of Canada's Department of External Affairs w...

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