HISTORY

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Since the first meeting of the Western Political Science Association (WPSA) was held on the University of Utah campus in November 1947, the association has grown into one of the largest political science associations in the nation. Today, the association represents a dynamic group of scholars from a wide range of backgrounds and with diverse scholarly interests. More than 1,000 political scientists participate in the association's annual meeting, where they share research, coordinate activities with colleagues, reconnect with friends, and peruse exhibits set up by publishers and others. The two official journals of the association, Political Research Quarterly and Politics, Groups, and Identities are among the most respected publications in the discipline. The association has expanded its presence online, especially through its Virtual Communities, which brings scholars together virtually for panels, colloquia, workshops, reading or writing groups, pedagogy discussions, and other events. The WPSA can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

One individual who has played a particularly important role in this history is Elizabeth (Betty) Moulds, who served as Secretary Treasurer from 1985 to1998 and Executive Director from 1998 to 2009. In December 2009, Political Research Quarterly published a short article by Betty on the changes in the association from its creation through the end of her tenure as Executive Director. Betty's insightful history of the association is available through SAGE publications at: http://prq.sagepub.com/content/62/4/840.full.pdf+html.

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To learn more about the association’s history, view the pages we have created to celebrate the association’s 75th anniversary in 2022: https://www.wpsanet.org/75_anniv/index.php.