North  
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 Laureate
Charles Albert Cannon (Nov. 29, 1892 - April 2, 1971)
Inducted 1992
   A textile marketing genius, Charles Cannon would build a nationally dominant brand through advertising and packaging innovations for Cannon Mills.		     




   
 Junior Achievement		    Born on Nov. 29, 1892 in Concord in a family of 10 children, Charles was the youngest of six sons for James William Cannon -- founder of Cannon Mills -- and Mary Ella Bost Cannon.
   Charles entered the family textile business at 19 years old. On June 5, 1912, he married Ruth Louise Coltrane. He would become the manager of the Barringer Manufacturing Company in Rockwell, and then vice president of Cannon Manufacturing Co. (1916) and president of Cannon Mills (1921) after his father died.
   Among the marketing innovations for the textile business that he pushed were: national consumer advertising, trademark labels on every sheet and towel, pastel colors, clear packaging and sets of products.
   When Cannon died in 1971, Cannon Mills had U.S. market share of over 50% for towels and over 20% for sheets. Annual sales totaled $305 million.
   Vertically integrated, Cannon Mills owned raw cotton production, processing, spinning and finished product manufacturing in 17 plants, all centered around Concord and the planned mill town of Kannapolis, which Charles Cannon envisioned in the image of Colonial Williamsburg.
   Cannon served on a state highway, public works and public park commissions. He supported many educational and healthcare institutions, including Cabarrus Memorial Hospital.

  

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