This comparative case analysis aims to understand what organizational conditions are related to the differences in the development of research among four traditional private universities in Latin America. Based on imprinting theory, the study analyzes how historical events and the founding conditions of each case study influence the processes of adaptation to local and global institutional pressures related to research development. Findings of the qualitative analysis of interviews with authorities of each case show that adaptative responses related to their policies and plans, allocation of universities' resources, tenure rules, and the development of a critical mass of professors with research capacities are influenced by their historical legacies: elements such as founding values, the stamps that the founders imprint, and the routines of selection of their members are maintained over time, intervening in the choice of the different options for the research development.