History of MND

151 years and going strong!

Mount Notre Dame is affiliated with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur which is a religious order that originated in France and Belgium. The order is an international organization with a main US region located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school was founded by a group of sisters in 1860.   Click HERE for the Sister of Notre Dame de Namur website.

1860 ~ 1935    Mount Notre Dame Academy opened its doors to 30 boarders on September 17, 1860.  These young scholars were the nucleus of a boarding school which soon became well-known for its excellence in education, attracting pupils from many states.  Included among these early students were Minnie and Rachel Sherman, daughters of General William T. Sherman of Civil War fame.  In 1897, the first day-scholars were accepted, and, in 1929, boys were admitted into the primary grades.

1935 ~ 1956    After the boarding school closed in 1935, Mount Notre Dame flourished and expanded as an academy to include all grades from kindergarten through high school.  In September 1956, upon the request of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Mount Notre Dame became affiliated with the Archdiocese.  At that time, its name was changed from Mount Notre Dame Academy to Mount Notre Dame High School.

1956 ~ 1987    These years represent the rapid growth of the student body.  In 1965, this expansion necessitated the move to a larger building, the site of the current school.  Mount Notre Dame has celebrated many anniversaries over the years -- its centennial in 1960, its 125th anniversary in 1985 and the 140th year of educating young women was commemorated in 2000. 

In 1987 Mount Notre Dame opened a pre-school, the Early Learning Center.  Also in 1987, Mount Notre Dame was one of 271 schools given national recognition for Excellence in Education by the U.S. Department of Education. 

1990 ~ 2003    1990 represented another milestone in that it was the first year the school was under the direction of its first lay principal,  Maureen Coleman Baldock.  In 1996, due to increased enrollment in the high school, the pre-school separated from MND and was renamed Serendipity.

Beginning in the summer of 1999, major improvements were undertaken at Mount Notre Dame: the renovation of the existing Chapel and Family & Consumer Sciences Lab, construction of a new chemistry lab and a new $2.2 million Student Activities Center/Gym.  The existing gym was converted into a Library/Media Center and a Computer Technology Center and a theater.  Office areas were expanded, and additional classrooms, including several computer labs, were added.  In 2000, the new gym opened. 

In 2003, the school created a Master Facilities Plan.  In addition, the Mount Notre Dame Board of Trustees voted to adopt a President/Principal model of administration for the school and named Sister Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN the school’s first President. 

2011    In 2011, in its continuous evolution to meet the needs of its community, the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Board of Trustees voted to implement a new and forward-thinking administrative model for the school.  The new model replaces the president and principal with a Head of School and establishes a separate foundation to serve as the fundraising arm of the school.  In March 2011, Mrs. Sparkle Worley was named as the Executive Director of the Foundation and in June 2011, Mr. Larry E. Mock was named the Head of School.