Elizabeth Abbott Balentine served as the university’s secretary and registrar from 1895–1913. She was the wife of Walter Balentine, the university’s first professor of agriculture who taught until his unexpected death in 1894. Elizabeth Balentine was given a temporary job as a clerk after her husband’s death. She soon progressed to treasurer, secretary of faculty and finally registrar in 1912. As the niece of Charles Allen, the university’s president from 1871–78, Balentine’s tenure with the university began during the college’s earliest days. During the 20 years she served the faculty and president, she was well-liked on campus. When she died, the campus, along with most alumni, went into mourning. It was said that Balentine knew the first names of every student at the university from the mid-1880s to her death in 1913.