He holds a B.A. from Berea College in History and Political Science, an M.A. from the University of Kentucky, and has completed 30 hours toward the Ph.D. He is the author of numerous journal and encyclopedia articles in the field of immigration and ethnic history. Professor Cantrell also teaches Kentucky and American History courses on the web and is the socials science discipline leader for the Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual University. He is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, and Who's Who in the South and Southwest. He is a former editor and past president of the Kentucky Association Teachers of History.