Hughes, Sir Samuel, 1853–1921, Canadian political leader, b. Ontario. A schoolteacher and newspaper editor, he entered the House of Commons in 1892 and held a seat until his death. As minister of militia and defense (1911–16) in Sir Robert Borden's government, he was responsible for organizing and dispatching the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I. To this task he brought great energy, but his outspoken criticism of those with whom he did not agree forced Borden to request his resignation in 1916. Hughes was knighted in 1915.

Hughes, Sir Samuel

(born Jan. 8, 1853, Darlington, Canada West—died Aug. 24, 1921, Lindsay, Ont., Can.) Canadian soldier and politician. He was proprietor and editor of an Ontario newspaper from 1885 to 1897. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1892, sitting until 1921, except during the South African War (1899–1902), in which he served as a lieutenant colonel. In 1911 he became Canadian minister of militia and defense. At the start of World War I, he organized, trained, and equipped the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service in Europe. He was knighted in 1915.