The Department of English was established in 1901, the year Cotton College was founded, and has continued to play an important role in contributing to the academic and cultural life of the entire Northeastern region. Prof F.W. Sudmerson, founder Principal of Cotton College was the one who started the department. From the session 1913-14, an undergraduate course in English was introduced under Calcutta University, and in 1914, a postgraduate course was introduced, thus marking the beginning of Post-Graduate education in Assam. Since 1979, the department has moved on from being under Gauhati University to Cotton College State University, and now Cotton University.