Florence Ballard Diana Ross, then going by "Diane". Betty McGlown completed the original lineup and Jenkins named them as "The Primettes". The group performed at talent showcases and at school parties before auditioning for Motown Records in 1960. Berry Gordy, head of Motown, advised the group to graduate from high school before auditioning again. Ballard eventually dropped out of high school though her groupmates graduated. In 1960, Ballard was raped at knifepoint by local high-school basketball player Reggie Harding after leaving a sock hop at Detroit's Graystone Ballroom (she had attended with her brother, but they accidentally lost track of each other).
Roberta A. Ballard from 1968-1969. Roberta Ballard's would end her education in San Francisco, CA at the Cardiovascular Research Institute doing a Neonatology Fellowship from 1970-1972. She would then stay in San Francisco as a professor of pediatrics at the University of California. Roberta Ballard would get her board certifications in 1972 through American Board of Pediatrics. Also through Sub-Board of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine in 1975 and again in 1992. Roberta A. Ballard Roberta A. Ballard is recognized for her contributions to neonatal medicine. In 1965, she graduated from the University of Chicago's medical school and has dedicated much of her life to research