Cavendish W. Cannon

Cavendish Wells Cannon (February 1, 1895 – October 7, 1962) was a long-time United States foreign service officer and diplomat.^[1]

Cavendish Cannon
United States Ambassador to Morocco
In office October 6, 1956 – July 1, 1958
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	William J. Porter (Chargé d'Affaires)
Succeeded by	Charles Yost
United States Ambassador to Greece
In office September 2, 1953 – July 28, 1956
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	John Emil Peurifoy
Succeeded by	George V. Allen
United States Ambassador to Portugal
In office June 2, 1952 – August 1, 1953
President	Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	Lincoln MacVeagh
Succeeded by	M. Robert Guggenheim
United States Envoy to Syria
In office October 30, 1950 – May 8, 1952
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	James Hugh Keeley, Jr.
Succeeded by	James S. Moose, Jr.
United States Ambassador to Yugoslavia
In office July 14, 1947 – October 19, 1949
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Richard C. Patterson, Jr.
Succeeded by	George V. Allen
Personal details
Born	(1895-02-01)February 1, 1895 Salt Lake City, Utah
Died	October 7, 1962(1962-10-07) (aged 67) Morón Air Base, near Morón de la Frontera, Spain 37°10′N 5°36′W
Spouse	Lilla Horzetsky ​ (m. 1921)​
Relatives	John Q. Cannon (Father) George Q. Cannon (Grandfather) Daniel H. Wells (Grandfather)
Education	University of Utah University of Paris
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1917
Battles/wars	World War I

Early life

Cannon was born in Salt Lake City in 1895 to newspaper editor John Q. Cannon and Utah State Representative Elizabeth Anne Wells Cannon.^[2][3]

Family History

He was the grandson of Salt Lake City Mayor and Lieutenant General Daniel H. Wells and US Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah Territory's at-large district and prominent LDS early member George Q. Cannon. Daniel was a descendant of English immigrant Thomas Welles, an early Colonial Governor of Connecticut and John Webster, 5th Governor of Connecticut. George Cannon immigrated from England in 1842.

Education and Military Service

He went through the Salt Lake City School District, then graduated from University of Utah.^[2][3] He also taught school in Hyrum.^[3] On June 17, 1917, he joined the United States Marine Corps during World War I.^[3] At the end of the war he remained in Paris to study at University of Paris.^[2][3]

State Department Service

During World War II, Cavendish served as the Assistant Chief of the State Department's Division of Southern European Affairs.^[4]

Cannon served as US Ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1947 to 1949,^[3][5] then as Envoy to Syria from 1950 to 1952,^[3][6] then US Ambassador to Portugal from 1952 to 1953,^[3] then US Ambassador to Greece from 1953 to 1956 and finally as US Ambassador to Morocco from 1956 to 1958.^[3] Among his fellow ambassadors was the Czechoslovak Ambassador Josef Korbel (father of Madeleine Albright). Cannon spoke in favor of Korbel's pro-democratic leanings when he was trying to gain asylum in the United States.^[7] In 1948, he was the chair of the US delegation to the Danube River Conference of 1948.^[8]

Personal life

Cannon was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[3][9] He married Marie Lucia Otilie "Lilla" Horzetsky in January 1921.^[2][3] He died of a heart attack at Morón Air Base, near Morón de la Frontera, Spain just a few days after having a gallbladder surgery. He was later interred in Seville, Spain.^[2][3]