Ballantyne was born on 5 July 1936, an only child. His father owned a small hotel, and he has described himself as "from a business family". Ballantyne was the first member of his family to attend high school. On the advice of an acquaintance who had studied medicine in the United States, he chose to attend university in that country (rather than in Britain or Canada, as was usual for Vincentians at the time). He completed an initial degree in chemistry at
Howard University (in
Washington, D.C.), and then went on to the
SUNY Upstate Medical University (in
Syracuse, New York) to study medicine. The "sole black individual" enrolled in the medical school, Ballantyne was elected to
student government in every year of his degree, and in his final year was elected student body president. He interned in at the
Montreal General Hospital after graduation, and then completed his
residency in internal medicine in
Rochester, New York, followed by a
fellowship in
cardiology. and also as president of Dimethaid International Inc., a pharmaceutical company registered in Barbados. He was also the founder of International Business Services Limited (IBS), a financial services provider now run by his son, Marcus, and a co-owner of the Young Island Resort, a tourist resort on a small island off Saint Vincent's southern coast. ==Governor-General==