by Bethel University
MCKENZIE, Tenn. May 6, 2021 - The Honorable Ben Cantrell will deliver the commencement address as part of Bethel University’s graduation ceremony May 8 at Wildcat Stadium.
Over 650 students will receive their degrees during the ceremony that begins at 10 a.m. Social distancing and safety guidelines will be in place for guests and graduates. Each graduate will be limited to the number of guests to reduce total capacity. Due to the limited capacity, the ceremony will be livestreamed and available to watch for family and friends.
Judge Cantrell spent 50 years in law, with 34 of those years as a member of the state judiciary. Throughout his legal career, he served as a trial judge on the chancery bench in Davidson County, an appellate judge on the middle section of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, a senior judge for the Tennessee Supreme Court and worked in private practice. He also taught at the Nashville School of Law for 26 years.
“We are so honored that Judge Ben Cantrell will be our speaker at our fall/spring graduation this Saturday,” said Dr. Walter Butler, Bethel University president. “From his early years at Palmersville in Weakley County to his status as Senior Judge for Tennessee, Judge Cantrell has been a great representative for Tennessee and its citizens. Most importantly, his love for Bethel University has never waned. He has served faithfully as a Board of Trustees member and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.”
He attended Bethel College from 1952-54. In 1957, he graduated from the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He obtained his law degree at the University of Tennessee in 1966.
Judge Cantrell is married to Rose Cantrell, and they have two daughters, Laura and Julie.