English: Cotton College was declared open on May 27, 1901 by Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, K.C.S.I., the then-chief commissioner of the erstwhile British province of Assam. The college was named after Sir Henry, as "Cotton College", in appreciation of his genuine concern for the cause of higher education in the province. The college was started with five professors, which included Frederick William Sudmerson, the first principal of the college, and 39 students.