ANU Research School of Social Sciences

Identity area

Type of entity

University unit

Authorized form of name

ANU Research School of Social Sciences

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

      Other form(s) of name

        Identifiers for corporate bodies

        Description area

        Dates of existence

        1949 -

        History

        The Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) is Australia’s major institution for theoretical and empirical research in the social sciences. It provides a distinctive multi-disciplinary environment for research. In 1947 Australian-born Professor of History W.K. Hancock was chosen to be the Academic Advisor for the School of Social Sciences with the eventual hope that he would take on the job as Foundation Professor. His initial plans for the structure were for nominal departments in Economics, Statistics, Population and Health Studies, Law, Political Science, Social Anthropology, Psychology, History and Philosophy, Sociology and Geography. Initial failure in trying to find suitably qualified individuals to take up posts and the resignation of Raymond Firth from the Academic Advisory Committee led, at the end of 1948, to Hancock advocating that the Pacific Studies and Social Sciences schools be established under one head until the Council decided that each had grown enough to be separate. This proposal was rejected because the emphasis on Pacific Studies was seen as one of the major points that had persuaded the government to accept the university proposal. This event was to prove the catalyst for a parting of ways between Hancock and the Committee. Sir Frederick Eggleston took the opportunity to begin to draw up new plans for the Social Sciences School with K.C. Wheare, Gladstone Professor of Government and Public Administration at Oxford, as advisor. The interim council accepted his proposal of chairs in Political Science, Economics, Social Philosophy, Law and History; with Readers in Demography and Statistics. The first appointment in Social Sciences was that of W.D. (Mick) Borrie with the title of Research Fellow in Demography in 1949, with professorial appointments in 1950 including Geoffrey Sawer in Law and Trevor Swan in Economics. Three readers were also appointed: Laurie Fitzhardinge in Australian History, L.C. Webb in Political Science, and H.P. (Horrie) Brown in Economic Statistics. In 1952 P. A. P. Moran was appointed chair in Statistics and and P. H. Partridge as chair in Social Philosophy. Later departments included Economic History and Sociology, and the Education Research Unit, the History of Ideas Unit, the Urban Research Unit, the Australian Dictionary of Biography, and the Archives of Business and Labour.

        Places

        Legal status

        Functions, occupations and activities

        Mandates/sources of authority

        research; teaching

        Internal structures/genealogy

        Directors
        • Dean, Professor Geoffrey Sawer: 1949 – 1956
        • Sir Keith Hancock: 1956 – 1961
        • Professor P.H. Partridge: 1961 – 1968
        • Professor W.D. (Mick) Borrie: 1968 – 1973
        • Acting Director, Professor Geoffrey Sawer: 1973 – 1974
        • Professor A.J. (Sandy) Youngson: 1974 – 1980
        • Professor Max Neutze: 1980 – 1985
        • Professor Paul Bourke: 1985 – 1991
        • Professor Geoffrey Brennan: 1991 – 1996
        • Professor Ian McAllister: 1997 – 2004
        • Professor Frank Jackson: 2004 – 2005
        • Acting Director, Professor Rod Rhodes: 2005 – 2007
        • Professor Rod Rhodes: 2007 – 2008

        • Professor Adam Graycar: 2010 –

        General context

        Relationships area

        Related entity

        ANU Department of Political Science (1951 - 1989)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        hierarchical

        Dates of relationship

        1951 - 1989

        Description of relationship

        null

        Related entity

        ANU Department of Demography (1952 - 1990)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        hierarchical

        Dates of relationship

        Description of relationship

        Related entity

        Neutze, Graeme Max (1934 - 2000)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        associative

        Dates of relationship

        1980 - 1985

        Description of relationship

        Director

        Related entity

        Borrie, Wilfred David (Mick) (1913 - 2000)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        associative

        Dates of relationship

        1968 - 1973

        Description of relationship

        Director

        Related entity

        Hancock, William Keith (1898 - 1988)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        associative

        Dates of relationship

        1956 - 1961

        Description of relationship

        Director

        Related entity

        Sawer, Geoffrey (1910 - 1996)

        Identifier of related entity

        Category of relationship

        associative

        Dates of relationship

        1949 - 1956

        Description of relationship

        Dean

        Access points area

        Subject access points

        Place access points

        Occupations

        Control area

        Authority record identifier

        Institution identifier

        Rules and/or conventions used

        Status

        Level of detail

        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Prepared by Maggie Shapley 14 February 2013

        Language(s)

          Script(s)

            Sources

            ANU Heritage website: http://heritage.anu.edu.au

            Maintenance notes