2014 Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner
Building bridges and skyscrapers as an engineer was Dr. Jesse J. Cannon’s dream as a child growing up in Stanton, Tennessee. His mother’s diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, three days after his high school graduation, put Dr. Cannon on the path to a career in Medicine.
After obtaining a bachelor’s of science in zoology from University of Tennessee at Martin in 1973, Dr. Cannon completed his medical education at University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1976. He went on to complete his residency in internal medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Gene Stollerman. Dr. Cannon then served as medical director in the National Health Service Corps for two years.
Dr. Cannon had a general practice in internal medicine in Covington and Munford, Tennessee for almost 20 years. During that time, he also had university appointments at the University of Tennessee and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Cannon has served as consulting staff or chief of staff at Baptist Hospitals in Tipton and Lauderdale counties and Haywood Park Community Hospital in Brownsville, Tennessee.
Dr. Cannon was instrumental in establishing a state-of-the-art eight-bed coronary care unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton in Covington, Tennessee. He also formulated the protocol and coordinated efforts to establish an outpatient mobile cardiac catheterization service at Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton.
Dr. Cannon holds membership in the American Society of Bariatric Physicians and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He also served on the Tennessee Governor’s Council for the American College of Physicians from 1993 to 1996.
In 2007, Dr. Cannon took what he describes as the most meaningful detour in his medical career. He reinvented himself as the Medical Director of the inpatient clinic at Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, Tennessee. While the change in direction was necessitated by a health challenge, Dr. Cannon has found the journey quite rewarding. “Learning the discipline of psychiatry, the metabolic and social aspects of mental illness has become a passion with me now,” Dr. Cannon said.
Dr. Cannon and his wife, Maurine have three children, André, Jayson, Jessica and one grandson, Dallas. When time permits, he loves to cook and listen to rhythm and blues by Stevie Wonder, jazz by Wynton Marsalis and country music by his daughter, “JC” Jessica Cannon and play golf.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cannon has made an indelible mark on his community and been a true servant to its citizens. We are proud to him a fellow alumnus of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
View Past Medicine Award Winners