The Instituto libre de Segunda Enseñanza was founded in 1892 by a group of men with experience in education who, before, during and after their activities in the school, occupied important scientific, political and social positions.

Almost all of the men who composed the teaching staff of the institute came from the historical Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires school, to which they resigned collectively as a reaction to the dismissal of the director by part of the government.

In a visit carried out by the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Education to the Nacional de Buenos Aires school, a small group of students displayed attitudes that he considered irreverent.

Calixto Oyuela then proposed to create a new school, one "free of official influences, judgements, and national politic changes"[citation needed], and it was funded on 16 May 1892, under the name "Instituto Libre de Segunda Enseñanza", on Florida 756, with Adolfo Orma as its director.

The school was put under the academic protection of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and received the political support and educational help of Bartolomé Mitre and Vicente Fidel López.