1989 BYU Hall of Fame
Hugh Steffensen Cannon unofficially broke the world discus record seven years after he graduated from BYU in 1936. Competing in June 1943 as an ensign in the US Navy, Hugh's toss of 174'10.17" was the highlight of the Metropolitan AAU championships at New York City's Randall Island Stadium. It bettered the existing world record by more than seven inches.
Hugh's throw held up for three years as the official American record. His hurl of 160'8.5" while a Cougar stood 22 years as a Rocky Mountain Conference record.
At BYU the two-sport letterman was an all-conference guard, captain on the basketball team, a member of Blue Key, and winner of the Ed Stein Award, given annually to the top scholar-athlete.
A graduate of Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, Hugh obtained a master's degree from the University of Chicago before entering the US Navy, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant. He was both two-time AAU and two-time Penn Relays champion, and he won the Junior Nationals in 1936.