J. Stanley Ballinger
NEC President, 1977–1982
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| Tufts president Jean Mayer with Stanley Ballinger |
Dr. J. Stanley Ballinger served as President of New England Conservatory from 1977 to 1982.
During Ballinger’s tenure at NEC, he played a major role in enhancing the artistic standards of the school through a variety of new faculty appointments, including violinist Dorothy DeLay. He also completed negotiations that led to the creation in 1978 of a five-year joint bachelor’s degree program with Tufts University that continues to the present day. He also helped repay a significant operating debt and was responsible for freeing up space in the Jordan Hall building for the academic and artistic programs of the Conservatory through the acquisition of 295 Huntington Avenue. On Ballinger’s watch, NEC enlarged its degree offerings, sponsored the first international tour by the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and reshaped its development office in preparation for the launch of a capital campaign.
In seeking a successor to the charismatic Gunther Schuller, NEC trustees were undoubtedly impressed by Ballinger’s achievements at Northern Illinois University. While there, he greatly enlarged the programmatic offerings, hired numerous world-class faculty members, appointed such preeminent ensembles as the Vermeer String Quartet, and convinced the University to build a new facility.
“Stan,” the youngest of five children born to the Reverend and Mrs. James J. and Maude Ballinger, began playing violin at the age of nine, and eventually went on to study with NBC violinist and conductor David Robertson. Ballinger received his bachelor’s degree in violin from Wichita State University in 1950. Prior to attending college, he volunteered and served as a pilot in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. In 1952 Ballinger earned his master's degree in violin from Oberlin Conservatory and later, his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
After retiring from his career in music, Ballinger became an active member of the Meher Spiritual Center near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for several years before moving to West Palm Beach. His extensive spiritual research and writings, including travels to India, were the focus of his later years. At the time of his sudden death on November 1, 2007, he was working to complete the foreword for a book he felt was ready for publication.
Explore NEC's archival holdings from the administration of J. Stanley Ballinger.
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updated 19 November 2007