Robert C. Cannon (June 10, 1917October 22, 2008) was an American lawyer and judge. He served as presiding judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District I court. Earlier in his career, he was significantly involved in Major League Baseball, worked to bring the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

franchise to Milwaukee, and came within one vote of being elected Commissioner of Baseball.

Biography

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cannon was married and had six children. In 1941, he graduated from Marquette University Law School. His father was Raymond Cannon, who served in the United States House of Representatives. He died on October 22, 2008.

Baseball

Heavily involved in bringing the

Seattle Pilots The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball, professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington during the 1969 Major League Baseball season. During their single-season existence, the Pilots played their ho ...

franchise (now the

) to Milwaukee from Seattle, Washington. He came within one vote of being elected Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Later, he worked as Legal Counsel to the Major League Baseball Players Association for six years.

Judicial career

Cannon was elected to the Milwaukee Civil Court in 1946. He joined the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in 1978, immediately becoming a Presiding Judge and remaining one until 1979. In 1981, he retired from full-time judicial duty but remained a reserve judge. In August 1968, Fr. James Groppi led a demonstration outside of Judge Cannon’s Wauwatosa home over his membership in the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, which restricted its membership to whites only. Robed Klansmen turned out in counter protest. Other residents held signs saying such things as “Keep Tosa White.” Cannon told the press, “I will remain in the Eagles as long as I live.”Patrick D. Jones, The Selma of the North: Civil Rights Insurgency in Milwaukee (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009), 109.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1978)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 3, 1984

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Robert Lawyers from Milwaukee Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges Wisconsin lawyers Milwaukee Brewers executives Marquette University Law School alumni 1917 births 2008 deaths 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers