History
- It was the proposal of the saintly Metropolitan of Calcutta, Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, to create quality schools in India that resulted in the founding of Bishop Cotton’s on April 19, 1865. The institution was opened for both boys and girls in a sprawling bungalow named Westward Ho in High Grounds and went through many highs and lows till 1870. In 1871, the management acquired 14 acres of land on St. Mark’s Road and shifted the school, demarcating two different areas, one for the boys’ school and the other for the girls’ with a wall separating the two. In 1911, the management acquired Stafford House and its surrounding eight and a half acres with access to both Residency Road and St. Mark’s Road and shifted the school, giving Bishop Cotton Girls’ School an identity of its own. In 1915, money was sanctioned to construct the beautiful administration block and the now famous Quad. More buildings were constructed in the 50s and 60s including the Chapel of the Holy Family. The first Indian Principal to take charge of the grand legacy of the School was Mrs. CA (Acca) Joseph in July 1963. The school has grown from strength to strength since then, with successive principals contributing to the improvement of infrastructure and overall academic excellence of the school. The mission to provide the best all-round education for girls continues in the new millennium.
Future
- During the last few years, the school has upgraded its infrastructure, constructing new buildings with spacious and well-ventilated classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories and research facilities, a multimedia center with networked computers and educational software, an indoor swimming pool and a well-stocked library with plenty of reading room. In the course of the next few years more building will be constructed and the facilities continuously upgraded to keep pace with the quantum leaps in education.
Principals Over The Years
Miss F Elmes (1913 – 1934) was the first Principal of the Bishop Cotton Girls’ School.
Miss R.M. Waller (1934 – 1944) is remembered for her intellectual and administrative talents.
Miss M.E.Hardy (1945 -1952), a good sports woman and disciplinarian, came to Cottons after years…
Mrs.C.M.Gaughan (1953 – 1954) steered the School through this turbulent period with her calm,…
Miss C.B.Schiff (1954 -1957) strengthened the involvement of parents and encouraged cultural…
Miss C.M.Millington (1958 – 1963) had been on the Staff of the school before she took over as…
Mrs. Acca Joseph (1963 – 1972) took over as the first Indian Principal in 1963.
Miss Grace Samuel (1972 – 1973) came to Cotton’s after nine years in the U.S.A.
Mrs.V.M.Chandran (1973 – 1977) a member of the Staff from 1959, took over as Principal in 1973…
Mrs.G.Clarke (1978 -1988) initiated the introduction of two new Houses – Elmes and Waller – to…
Mrs.Elizabeth Joseph M.A., B.Ed (1988 – 1999) a member of the Staff from 1971, took over as…
Mrs.Stella Samuel M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D (1999 – 2005 ) a member of the Staff since 1974, took over…
Mrs. Princess Franklyn M.A, B.Ed, M. Phil (2005 – 2010) took over as Principal in June 2005.
Mrs.Lydia Joshua: M.A, B.Ed (2010-2014) The turning point in the year 2010 was the change in…
Mrs. Princess Franklyn M.A, B.Ed, M. Phil (2014 – 2015) took over as Principal in June 2005.
Dr. Mrs. Mithran emerged as the School topper in her Class X examinations.
“Nex Dextrorsum Nec Sinistrorsum”
These are Latin words which mean “neither to the…