CANNON, AUSTIN VICTOR (9 June 1869-27 Sept. 1934) was a well-known lawyer, businessman, and leader in securing much needed relief funds for Cleveland during the Depression. Cannon was born in Streetsboro, Ohio, the son of Artemus M. and Lenora (Wells) Cannon. Educated at Buchtel College (now the University of Akron), he received a B.S. degree in 1892. After passing the bar, Cannon was made a partner in the law firm White, Johnson, McCaslin, & Cannon in 1896. An expert on bankruptcy and equitable receivership law, Cannon served as commissioner on Uniform laws from Ohio for more than 15 years and lectured on bankruptcy at Western Reserve University. He utilized his legal skills in business as Vice President and director of the Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co., and secretary-treasurer and director of the National Woolen Co. among others.
Perhaps Cannon's most outstanding contribution to the community was his effort to obtain adequate relief money for the needy in the early 1930s. Cannon lobbied the Ohio legislature vigorously for more emergency relief funds and served as chairman of the Joint Relief Commission 1932-33, a period when an estimated 219,000 people in Cuyahoga County were out of work. Cannon helped administer relief as chairman of the Cuyahoga County Relief Commission from 1933 until his death. In April,1935 he was posthumously awarded the Cleveland Medal for Public Service. Cannon married Marian E. Cook, and they had 3 children, sons, Rudolph A. and Victor M. and daughter Josephine Cannon Watt. Cannon died suddenly of a heart attack at age 65 while attending a welfare workers party at NELA PARK. He is buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.