Richard Cannon II, M.D.
Vanderbilt mourns loss of former hospital director Richard Cannon
Richard O. Cannon II, M.D., professor and director emeritus of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, died June 7 in Tyler, Texas, where he had lived since 2002. He was 87.
A 1943 graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, he served his residency and became chief resident in obstetrics/gynecology at Vanderbilt Hospital.
In 1950, he was appointed assistant director of Vanderbilt Hospital, and served as director from 1955-1972.
He was Dean of Allied Health Professions at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine from 1972 until 1983, when he retired.
While in Nashville, Dr. Cannon served as president of the Tennessee Hospital Association, and helped establish the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross where he served as its first board president.
Preceded in death by his wife, Mary, in 1993, Dr. Cannon is survived by daughters, Mary and Anne; sons, Richard III and James; and seven grandchildren.
In 2005, Dr. Cannon returned to Vanderbilt with his son, Richard O. Cannon III, M.D., a graduate of the VUSM Class 1976, and awarded a Vanderbilt medical degree to his granddaughter, Jennifer.