The inauguration of the Academy "brought together a large group of scholars in the Latin American field," including Howard Mumford Jones, John Tate Lanning, and Carlos E. Castañeda.
A number of non-Franciscans pursuing the history of the order were made corresponding members of the Academy, including John Tate Lanning, France V. Scholes, Herbert E. Bolton, and George P.
[1] The Academy is a research institute, now based in Oceanside, California, on the campus of Mission San Luis Rey and is affiliated with the Franciscan School of Theology.
Its current director is Jeffrey Burns, (PhD University of Notre Dame), who also holds a faculty position at the Franciscan School of Theology.
"[7][8] The Academy also publishes a monograph series and scholarly editions of writings of Franciscans, such as St Junípero Serra.