Cannon, Isabella, 1904-2002

Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon (May 12, 1904 – February 13, 2002) was an American educator and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served the 32nd mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1977 until 1979. She was the first woman to hold the office.

Born Isabella McLean Bett Walton in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, she came to the United States with her family in 1916. After graduating from Winecoff High School in Concord, N.C., she earned a B.A. in English asnd Science from Elon College in 1924. While working as a teacher at Elon College high school, she married Claude M. Cannon in 1924, who was a registrar and business manager at Elon College. In addition to working as a high school teacher, she encountered a variety of work experience, including her position as the mayor of Raleigh. She served as the director of the Elon College weekday experimental school of religious education from 1925 to 1928, worked as a cashier at the Elon Banking and Trust Company from 1928 to 1930, and later became an assistant registrar and manager of the college bookstore at Elon in 1932. Ten years later, she became a bookkeeper and payroll manager at WRAL Radio Station in Raleigh and worked until 1943. She then held a position as a supervisor with the French Supply Council in Washington D.C. from 1944 to 1945. For the next two years, she was an interviewer for overseas financial clearance for returning and terminating personnel in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. From 1947 to 1954, she traveled overseas to Liberia, West Africa, and Iraq with her husband, Claude Cannon, who was serving in diplomatic service. After returning to the United States, he died in 1954 in Raleigh. Soon after, she became the director of the library at North Carolina State University and maintained her job for the next fifteen years.

Isabella Cannon was elected as the first female mayor of Raleigh in 1977. On November 13, 1977, the New York Times reported, "Rather than the simple, senior-citizen Cinderella story of a 73-year-old political novice who upset a vigorous, veteran incumbent, the victory of Isabella Cannon as Mayor-elect is considered here as the latest skirmish in a continuing power struggle over the economic future of this capital city of 150,000". Her victory over the previous mayor, Jyles Coggins, was surprising news for many people, not only because of her age, but also because of his widespread support from the city residents. Based on her motto of "planned growth," however, she was able to win the election by 14,508 to 13,315. She was sworn-in in December and served one term until 1979. She was defeated for re-election by city councilman Smedes York.

Aside from her time as the mayor of Raleigh, Cannon was an active member of the community. She served as President for the University Park Homeowners Association, Inc. (1981) and the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association, Inc. (1982). She also served a Vice Presidency for the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association from 1979–1981, as well as holding such a title for the Women in Business Advisory Council, Inc. (1979) and was the first Vice President of Precinct #1- Raleigh. Isabella Cannon was on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina State University Humanities Foundation, Inc. (1981), the Committee on Constitutional Integrity, Inc. (1982), the North Carolina State Youth Council (1981), and the Executive Board of Directors in 1981. She was also an active committee member of several other organizations such as the Wake County Chapter of the United Nations in 1980, where she was appointed to the Mayor's committee for the United Nations.

Cannon died in Raleigh and was buried in Saint Marks Episcopal Church Memorial Garden there.