During her time at Tower Hill, a curiosity was sparked in Ellen Cannon ’72 that eventually inspired her successful career in journalism.
“Tower Hill promoted students to take part in things and learn as much as possible about everything,” remembers Cannon. “It was about being curious. That’s what I loved about Tower Hill.”
From her earliest years, Cannon describes herself as a “magazine junky,” poring over issues of Highlights at a young age. At the time, she would never have guessed she was on the path to becoming a journalist, writer and editor who launches magazines, websites and books that cover a vast range of topics, from entertainment to finance to sports.
ON BEING A GENERALIST
In business, there is nothing more valuable than being a generalist, or someone who is exceedingly competent in a variety of different areas.
Cannon has leveraged her diverse experience, skills and adaptability over a lifetime.
“When you are trained as a journalist, you are a very curious person to start with,” says Cannon, who spent the first half of her career as a magazine editor, specializing in startups.
She started at a weekly newspaper, then moved on to TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly.
Eventually, Cannon moved to Australia to start the Australian edition of People magazine. At People, she served as managing editor, doing everything from hiring and training staff, contracting printers and liaising with the legal department.
She pretty much organized everything.
When Cannon returned to the U.S., she was recommended to Mike Bloomberg, a renowned businessman, philanthropist and former mayor of New York City. Bloomberg wanted to start a personal finance magazine and, with the launch of six major magazines under her belt, he decided Cannon was the perfect person to launch his own.
At first, she didn’t know much about finance. “I learned a lot. And fast,” recalls Cannon.
She stayed at Bloomberg for 10 years, launching various publications, and then a series of books that required her to again learn a new subject matter-book publishing.
As she moved adeptly through the magazine and publishing worlds, Cannon rode the wave of changing cultural norms, watching as publications went from print to digital. She accepted a role at Bankrate.com as managing editor.
“I had to learn everything from the ground up. So I asked a lot of questions,” she notes. “If I didn’t change with the times, my career would be over.”
Her curiosity motivated her to learn HTML and adapt to daily deadlines and concise formats. She loved working on digital stories-they were flexible and never constrained by length or format like print publications were.
In fact, Cannon never went back to print. Though she is now officially retired, Cannon continues to do freelance editing and consulting for a number of personal finance websites “to support my golf habit!” she jokes.
These days, golfing and volunteering regularly at numerous organizations keep her mind sharp.
RESILIENCE
In her lifetime, Cannon has suffered from two brain hemorrhages, both caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The first occurred in 1989 while living in New York City. Her recuperation caused her to miss four months of work.
Four years later, when she was living in Australia, the AVM ruptured again and she underwent brain surgery. Recovery from the second episode took about nine months. Cannon relied on friends who looked after her until it was safe for her to take the 20-hour flight back to the U.S.
Other than some occasional moments of vertigo, Cannon is now right as rain. She even recently made the trip back to Australia and New Zealand to visit her close friends there.
TOWER HILL’S INFLUENCE
As she reflects on her career and life, Cannon attributes Tower Hill’s motto, Multa Bene Facta, to her success.
“The great thing about Tower Hill is, everyone was encouraged to take part in everything,” she says.
She joined Tower Hill in ninth grade. It was her dream school-she knew it was rigorous and she wanted to be challenged to learn as much as possible.
“Nothing would have been possible without Tower Hill,” remembers Cannon. “Having been given a scholarship to go to school at Tower Hill was the greatest gift.”
As a self-described shy person, Cannon credits Tower Hill with building her confidence. She played tennis on the varsity team from 10th through 12th grades and when the team won the 1971 state championship.
Cannon’s father played squash, encouraging her to give it a try herself. She was coached by Betty Richardson.
In reflecting on her time at Tower Hill, she notes faculty member Ed Hughes made a lasting impression on her-especially his world cultures class, which opened her mind and inspired her to travel the world.
Cannon serves on the Alumni Council and helped organize her 50th reunion in 2022.
“I encourage all alumni to give back to Tower Hill,” urges Cannon. “It is so important to support the institutions that made us who we are today.”
