Agricultural Hall of Fame - LYNTON YATES BALLENTINE

LYNTON YATES BALLENTINE
April 6, 1899 - July 19, 1964

Lynton Yates Ballentine had a unique ability to inspire various groups to work together toward a common goal. He was one of North Carolina's most popular public servants and acted as a key figure and atalyst for progress during the State's technological explosion in agriculture. Born in Wake County, he attended the public schools and graduated from Wake Forest College in 1921 with an A.B. degree in Political Economy. He was an active dairy farmer throughout his lifetime in conjunction with holding elected public office almost continuously.

He served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners from 1926-34; as State Senator from 1937-43; as Lieutenant Governor from 1944-48; and as State Commissioner of Agriculture from 1949 until his death. He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture from 1941-1944 and was elected chairman of the State Board of Education in 1945. He served as president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and as chairman of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Advisory Committee. He was a trustee of Wake Forest College and was a charter member and director of the Agricultural Foundation of North Carolina State University. He was named "Man of the Year in Service to North Carolina" in 1951 by Progressive Farmer and "Man of the Year" by the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation in 1952. In 1953 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Agriculture by North Carolina State University. He had an unsurpassed talent for dispelling any existing divisiveness between rural and urban goals. Farm economy in North Carolina and the nation profited from his keen vision and ability to achieve action.

Elected to the North Carolina
AGRICULTURAL HALL OF FAME
1966