Keeper of Botany at Natural History Museum, London from 1977-1990 (retired).
After military service and study at Newcastle University, Cannon joined the Natural History Museum in 1952 as a Scientific Officer in the General Herbarium. The range of families in his section included the Umbelliferae (Parsley Family), of which he made a special study, particularly of the African species. One of his first tasks was to supervise the creation by Kim Allen of the old British Natural History Gallery. John Cannon was made Deputy Keeper under Bob Ross in 1972, and became Keeper of Botany on Bob’s retirement in1977. When he himself retired in 1990, he left the Museum and gave up botanical research. However, along with his wife Margaret, he wrote a book on Plant Dyes, published by the Museum.
President of Botanical Society of the British Isles (1983-1985)