Thomas Cannon

Thomas C. Cannon Sr. (August 3, 1925 – July 2, 2005) was an American philanthropist. In 2004 he co-authored the book Poor Man's Philanthropist: The Thomas Cannon Story with the photojournalist Sandra Waugaman.

Background Cannon was born on August 3, 1925, to Eliza Cannon. Along with his mother and three siblings, Cannon moved to Chase City, Virginia after the death of Cannon's father, a Holiness minister, to live with his grandmother in a shack with no running water or electricity. As Cannon's family could not afford these expenses, Cannon dropped out in the seventh grade and began working a series of odd jobs to support his family. During this time he would make occasional visits to see his brother in Richmond, where he met Princetta (who was eleven at the time), who would eventually become his wife. This put a large financial strain on the family's finances and in 1995 a local Richmond developer began a benefit fund to raise money to provide the Cannons with a new home and help with Princetta's medical care.

Philanthropy Cannon first began donating money in 1972 and he frequently chose people that he had heard about in the news. In 1974 he sent a donation of $50 to each United States governor in honor of the United States Bicentennial and received letters from many of them, including future President Ronald Reagan. Cannon continued to send in donations to people he saw or read about in the news, accompanying each donation with a letter, poem, and a "hug coupon". Typical recipients of Cannon's philanthropy were people who had been featured in the news for having experienced hardship or for performing acts of heroism, generosity, or nobility. Most recipients were not independently wealthy, although Cannon would reward wealthy persons that he felt displayed good qualities.

Awards and honors Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (1978) America's Award (1997) Strong Men & Women in Virginia History from the Library of Virginia (2016)