The Department of Political Science (DPS) was established within the Research School of Social Sciences in 1949. However, the first appointment to the Department occurred in 1951, when Mr L.C. Webb (later Professor) took up the position of Reader and Head of the Department. For two years, 1958-1959, the DPS combined with the Department of International Relations (DIR) as a temporary arrangement and was known as the Department of Political Science & of International Relations. In 1960, the DPS returned to its original name after the members whose work was in the DIR were transferred to The Research School of Pacific Studies. In 1988, a review of activities of the Research School were carried out and as a result all former departments, centres and units within the RSSS were de-established in 1989. From 1990, the RSSS was organised into four divisions and the DPS subsequently became a part of the Division of Politics and Economics.