Adele Morris Cannon was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George Mousley Cannon and Marian Adelaide Morris. She was the oldest of nine children, and her father was the first president of the Utah State Senate. As a child, Cannon suffered from rheumatic fever. She enjoyed reading in her spare time and horseback riding. Cannon attended schools in Salt Lake City and graduated from the LDS High School and Business College in 1903. She attended the University of Utah and studied physical education and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1909.
