Father Burke was a Paulist priest, distinguished teacher, theologian, scholar, church historian and ecumenist. After his retirement from Catholic University in 1976, he was closely associated with UC San Diego as a member of the Paulist ministry to students and as a member of the UCSD Catholic Community.
The concept of a permanent lectureship originated in a series of discussions among some of Father Burke's friends seeking a way to honor him on his forty-fifth anniversary as a Paulist. Before his death in 1984, he joined with members of the Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran communities to outline the structure and scope of the Lectureship. UC San Diego faculty and administration helped to shape its organization.
An endowment, largely raised from hundreds of small donations (which the Lectureship continues to seek) was created and is managed by the UCSD Foundation. The endowment generates the funds necessary to bring prominent speakers from around the world to the UCSD campus; there have been more than 75 lectures since the series began in 1985. Lectures are free of charge and open to all.