San Francisco County
Biographies
WILLIAM M.
CANNON
In the first rank of San Francisco attorneys is William M. Cannon, whose experience in corporation and receivership law has been of wide scope and attended with notable success.
He was born in Tuolumne county, California, April 11, 1866, and is a son of the late James and Delia (Greany) Cannon.
James Cannon and his wife were both born in the country of Ireland. The former came to California, crossing the Isthmus of Panama on a mule, in the spring of 1850, and in 1855 returned east to get married, after which he brought his bride back to California, again taking the Isthmus route. He was one of the most prominent of the early miners in his section of Tuolumne county, and died there, as the result of an accident, when he was in his eighty-third year. This was about 1903, and his wife had preceded him in death two years previously, when she was sixty-seven years old.
William M. Cannon studied in the public schools of Tuolumne county, and took an academic course privately. He then taught school for an interval in his native county. As a youth of sixteen years he became self-supporting, and was inspired with high ambition. After his teaching experience, he spent four years as assistant postmaster in Sonora under Thomas Leonard, the latter having been an appointee of President Cleveland. While serving in this position, Mr. Cannon first began the study of law, which he had determined upon as his life’s work. He afterward entered the law office of Mr. Kalloch in Sonora, where he obtained much practical experience, and in 1889 he came to San Francisco, becoming connected with the law office of Henry N. Clement, one of this city’s most prominent lawyers. Here he continued his studies, and eventually felt himself prepared to take the bar examination before the supreme court, which he did with resultant success, and he was accordingly admitted on August 5, 1890. In the same class were a number of men who have since attained eminence in the law and in public life, among them being Senator Hiram Johnson, Judge Frank Kerrigan, Henry G. Dinkelspiel, and W. F. Cowan. Mr. Cannon engaged in practice independently for a period, and then became a member of the firm of Clement, Cannon, Kline & Stradley, which firm, however, was dissolved three years later. Again he practiced for himself until the fire and earthquake of April 18, 1906, when his residence and office were destroyed. In the latter part of 1907, he was employed by the United Railroads of San Francisco to try their jury cases and at the same time he opened and maintained his own office. He met with pronounced success in this affiliation, and in 1911 he consolidated his office with the legal department of the United Railroads, and at the same time became a partner of William M. Abbott, who was general counsel for that company. Mr. Cannon was the trial attorney for the company. This arrangement continued until the fall of 1920, in which year he went to New York city to take up legal work for a large number of oil companies operating in Oklahoma, in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, California and other states. These companies merged and the holding company became known as the Middle States Oil Company. Mr. Cannon retained the position as general counsel until this company went into receivership in 1924. The judge appointing the receivers was John C. Knox of the United States district court, southern district of New York, and through his appointment Mr. Cannon became assistant to the receivers, Judge Julius Mayer and Hon. Joseph P. Tumulty, formerly secretary to President Wilson. He continued in this capacity until 1929, when reorganization was effected under the corporate title of Middle States Petroleum Corporation. During this latter period, he was likewise president and general counsel for the Louisiana Northwest Railroad Company, which operated a short line in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana. During this period he was also appointed receiver of a large brokerage firm which failed in 1925, this appointment having been made by Judge Bondy of the United States district court of the southern district of New York. Mr. Cannon completed his work with the oil company receivership in December, 1929, returned to California in March, 1930, and in San Francisco entered into law partnership with Walter H. Linforth under the firm name of Linforth & Cannon. Their offices are now situated in the de Young building, and they are rated as among the most successful and reputable legal firms of the bay district. Mr. Cannon is a member of the California Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the New York County Lawyers Association. Besides being authorized to practice in the state and federal courts of California, he has been admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of New York, and in the supreme court of the United States.
Mr. Cannon was married in 1913 to Rae Bruning, a native of Sacramento, California. Mr. Cannon’s first wife died in 1910, leaving the following children: Kingsley W., who is now attorney for the Market Street Railway in San Francisco; Eleanor, who is the wife of Andrew Richardson, a rancher and stockman of Sonoma county, California; and Leonard L., who is engaged in business in the state of Texas. There are three grandchildren in the family.
Mr. Cannon’s political allegiance has always been accorded to the democratic party. He is a loyal member of Stanford Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, and also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Olympic Club, the Presidio Golf Club, and the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Golf has for many years been his favorite sport. Mr. Cannon has always manifested sincere interest in civic affairs of San Francisco. He is respected by his contemporaries for his ethical procedure in the practice of law, and his success in litigation matters has brought to him a clientele of large proportions.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 392-397.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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