This collection consists of Ballentine's private papers from 1949 to 1964. (The items dated prior to 1949 are newspaper clippings concerned mainly with his election as lieutenant governor; the one item in 1966 concerns the presentation of his portrait to the Department of Agriculture). The collection deals indirectly with his duties as Commissioner of Agriculture and could be classified as semi-official in some cases. The majority of the collection is arranged under a general heading of "Personal," by year. Types of letters in this arrangement include letters of recommendation written by Ballentine, correspondence concerning meetings or conferences (usually agricultural or political), strictly social letters written on behalf of himself and/or Mrs. Ballentine, and a few letters concerned with politics and the Democratic Party. Also found in this arrangement are letters dealing with Ballentine's Dairy-purchase of animals and equipment and submission of bids to supply milk to the public schools are two of the topics.

Following this general arrangement are folders relating to particular topics--the biggest majority concerns his term as trustee of Wake Forest College [University], 1960-1963. Of particular interest in these papers is correspondence relating to the integration of that institution.

Ballentine was chairman of a special race relations committee, 1961-1962, which was given the responsibility of deciding whether Negroes should be admitted. There is also a small group of papers concerned with the expansion program for Meredith College in 1959--Ballentine was state chairman of the program.

Ballentine was active in several organizations, professional and others. There is a group of papers concerning his activities in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (Ballentine was president of the association in 1962-1963). A group of miscellaneous business papers, 1951, for the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America is also in the collection. Ballentine was a member of the agriculture subcommittee of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, and there is a folder of information concerning the work of this committee, 1955-1956.

Several political topics have been filed separately from the general arrangement - the visit of Harry S. Truman in 1960, the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner of 1950 (particularly the confrontation between Ballentine and Jonathan Daniels), the race for U. S. senator in 1950, and the state Democratic Party convention in 1952.

Other items in the collection include letters and telegrams, tributes, and memorials received upon the death of Ballentine and a scrapbook, 1949-1953.