Mariam Cannon Hayes
The daughter of the late Charles A. and Ruth Cannon, Mariam Cannon Hayes is a champion of people and programs devoted to education, health services, historical preservation, and the arts. Born January 22, 1916 in Cabarrus County, Mrs. Hayes is a loving and supportive wife of the late Robert G. Hayes and mothe of Congressman Robert C. “Robin” Hayes. As the President and Director of The Cannon Foundation and Trustee of the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust, she is a successful and respected business leader. She has generously supported the establishment and the development of the Northeast Medical Center of Concord, Queens College of Charlotte, The Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital in Linville, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wingate University, The North Carolina Museum of Natural History, The Blowing Rock Hospital, The North Carolina Symphony, Cannon Music Camp, and the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University.
Mrs. Hayes is a graduate of Mount Vernon Seminary and Queens College. While her husband Robert was stationed in the United States Navy and posted in Oklahoma, she pursued graduate study at the University of Oklahoma. She has been honored with several degrees: the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Wingate University, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanitarian Service from Catawba College, and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Campbell University. She is a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award from Queens College and the Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Catawba College. She received the D. D. Dougherty Medallion in May 2001 and the Appalachian Medallion in 1994 from Appalachian State University. Following an exceptional gift to the University in 2001, the Hayes School of Music was named in her honor.
Mrs. Hayes affiliation with Appalachian State University began in 1969 when her father helped the University establish the Cannon Music Camp. Since that time, Mrs. Hayes has served on the Board of Trustees and the Appalachian Summer Festival Advisory Board. She presently serves as a member of the Hayes School of Music Advisory Board.
Mrs. Hayes maintains a busy schedule of philanthropic work, concert-going, bridge, reading, and golf.