13 Facts About Isabella Cannon

Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon was an American politician who served as the first female mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1977 until 1979.

Isabella Cannon died at the age of 97 on February 13,2002.

Isabella Cannon 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.

Isabella Cannon then held a position as a supervisor with the French Supply Council in Washington DC from 1944 to 1945.

Isabella Cannon was elected as the first female mayor of Raleigh in 1977.

Isabella Cannon was sworn-in in December and served one term until 1979.

Isabella Cannon was defeated for re-election by city councilman Smedes York.

In 1978, Isabella Cannon was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Elon University.

In 1999, Isabella Cannon was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Jim Hunt in recognition of her service to North Carolina.

Isabella Cannon served as President for the University Park Homeowners Association, Inc and the North Carolina Senior Citizens Association, Inc.

Isabella Cannon was on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina State University Humanities Foundation, Inc, the Committee on Constitutional Integrity, Inc, the North Carolina State Youth Council, and the Executive Board of Directors in 1981.

Isabella Cannon was 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.

Isabella Cannon served as a charter member of the Wake County Democratic Women, an Associate member of both the Wake County Democratic Men and the Wake County Young Democrats, and was on the Executive Committee of the Elon College Alumni Association.