Seton was founded as Mount St. Vincent Academy in 1854. It was also known as Cedar Grove. With the arrival of Elder High School's girls' department, Cedar Grove was renamed Elizabeth Ann Seton on September 12, 1927. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Seton has always provided the highest quality spiritual, academic, and social programs in a comprehensive curriculum to young women. Since its earliest days, Seton has been fully accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and is an active member of the National Catholic Education Association. Seton High School holds the motto "Hazard Yet Forward". As of the 2015-2016 school year, Seton has introduced a housing system that divides the student body into four houses. O'Connell, named after Sister Mary O'Connell, a Civil War army nurse for the Union, dubbed the "angel of the battlefield" for her services. Emmits, named after Emmitsburg, Maryland where Elizabeth Seton spent a great amount of time in and died. Segale, named after Sister Blandina Segale, a Sister of Charity on her way to becoming a saint who was an educator and social worker. Cedar, named after the cedar trees that once grew where the school now stands and the original name of the school, Cedar Grove.
The Crest
The crosses are from the crest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and the plowshare represents the City of Cincinnati named after the Society of Cincinnati which is named after Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who became the famous general of Rome. The cedar tree symbolizes Cedar Grove, the popular name of the academy established on this site in 1857. The school was renamed Seton High School in 1928. The wavy bars suggest the Ohio River and the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity at Mount St. Joseph-on-the-Ohio. The three crescents are derived from the Seton Family Coat of Arms.
Elizabeth Ann Seton
In 1794, Elizabeth Ann Bayley married William M. Seton. They had five children. William died while he and Elizabeth were on a business trip in Italy, and there Elizabeth became acquainted with the Catholic faith. In 1808, she founded the Sisters of Charity in America and is often credited with founding the Catholic School System. Before her death in 1821, she sent four of her sisters to Cincinnati. They lived at Cedar Grove and were the original members of a new congregation: In 1975, Elizabeth Seton became the first canonized saint born in the United States of America.
As a member of the Girls' Greater Catholic League, Seton teams have won numerous league, district, regional and state championships in 12 varsity sports: Fall
