The CSIC was established in 1939 by one of the first governments of
Francisco Franco from the assets of the Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research ( (JAE, 1907–1939)), born within the
Institución Libre de Enseñanza and inspired in the
Krausist philosophy. The initial mandate of the CSIC was to
restore the classical and Christian unity of the sciences that was destroyed in the 18th century ("la restauración de la clásica y cristiana unidad de las ciencias destruida en el siglo XVIII"). From its 1939 foundation to his 1966 death, its head was
José María Albareda, one of the first members of the
Opus Dei and a close friend of its founder,
Josemaría Escrivá. José María Albareda was ordained a priest in 1959, and at his death was succeeded as head of CSIC by
Manuel Lora-Tamayo,
minister of Education from 1962 to 1968. ==Duties==