Emil Monde left Columbus School in New Haven at an early age when his father passed away and went to work to help support his family. He later pursued an education in accounting and achieved a certified public accounting certificate. He was employed by Winchester Repeating Arms when he left to start an accounting firm by investing $450, which was enough to buy the office furniture for his new business. In August 1919 Emil joined Herbert Seward and Milton Stone to form Seward, Stone & Monde, Accountants and Auditors.

Herbert Seward was a Yale graduate in Mechanical Engineering and later became a certified public accountant. He was Assistant Manager for the NYC office of Lybrand, Ross Brothers & Montgomery until 1917 when he left to become president of McLoughlin Bros., Inc. of New York before joining the firm.

The firm's first locations were in New Haven, Bridgeport and New York City. It also had a flourishing office in Daytona Beach, Florida. By 1929 it relocated to Church Street in the Trust Company Building until 1970 when it moved to 296 State Street North Haven where it continues to practice today. During the 1920s the firm's name was changed to Seward and Monde, Certified Public Accountants.

The first staff member to join the firm in 1919 was George F. Childs Jr., who followed Emil from Winchester Repeating Arms Company. A few years later J. Harold Cobb became the second staff member followed by Ken Hadley.

These men established a firm philosophy to support the rigid requirements of their profession that included hard work, technical expertise, ethical standards and common sense. The firm has achieved and maintained its excellent reputation by adhering to these elements.

Traditionally, the firm's success factors are its excellent reputation, close personal contact with clients and responsiveness. It was good business to keep in touch through memberships in the Quinnipiac Club, the Union League Club and the New Haven Country Club. Emil Monde also served as president of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce.

The firm's practice responded to the wartime of the 1940's by servicing clients who had to adhere to the compliance requirements of the Wage Stabilization Board and Price Controls.

In 1966 Emil Monde retired being the last of the original firm members. At that time the management of the firm was passed on to Joseph Hartnett a member of the original executive committee that also included Harold Monde and Conrad Soderblom. Subsequently the committee of Spencer Hirst, Joseph Farrell and Richard Haran managed the firm.

Many in New Haven's business community who enriched its history were among the early clients of Seward & Monde such as J.B. Sargent and Company, The New Haven Clock Company, members of the Brewster family of carriage makers, C. Cowles & Co., Mory's at Yale and the Stiles Brick Company. The Taft Hotel, The Edward Malley Company, Shartenberg's Department Store, the New Haven Arena and the Knights Of Columbus have all availed themselves of the expertise of a firm with such great integrity.

Today Seward and Monde enters the new millennium as a full service accounting firm with offices in North Haven and New London. They provide traditional accounting, auditing and tax services as well as expertise in estate planning, information technology, wealth management, profitability analysis, business valuation, and process reviews among other specialty services.

The current partners realize the value of the history and tradition set by the founders and former partners. They are committed to continue fostering the traditions in philosophy and success factors that have distinguished their firm for over 81 years.