The school opened in 1948 with a capacity of 1,360 students. It began with freshman and sophomore years and reached its full complement in 1950. The school was established after fundraising by the Catholic parishes of
Westchester County, under the leadership of
Francis Cardinal Spellman, the
Archbishop of New York, and the archdiocese's educational officials. The initial purpose of the school was to establish a full educational program with a diversity of subject choices, leading to a well-rounded student. In addition to the
college preparatory program, it offered a general course for boys who wanted to finish their education with high school and enter a trade. Boys were taught by an all-male faculty, almost entirely religious in makeup. In its earliest years, the administration of the school was mostly in the hands of priests of the Illinois-based
Viatorian order, aided by some New York archdiocesan priests assisted by religious brothers and an occasional layman. All were under the supervision of the principal, Msgr. Joseph Krug. Fr. John O'Keefe, the school's president from 1992 to 2004, was permanently removed from ministry in 2016 because of allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. O'Keefe's suspension was announced in a December 16, 2015, letter to parishioners from New York's archbishop,
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who called the allegation "credible". == Demographics ==