Music teacher Ella Lively Holroyd (October 17, 1885-April 3, 1981) was born in Mercer County. She was the oldest daughter among nine children. Her parents were James French Holroyd, who was a teacher at the Concord State Normal School (now Concord University) for 40 years, and Bettie Lively. Ella Holroyd spent about 75 years in teaching and music.

Holroyd entered the Cincinnati Conservatory in 1905 but left after two years so her younger sister could attend West Virginia University. For about four years, Holroyd taught at the Russell Creek Academy in Campbellsville, Kentucky, but she returned to the conservatory to complete her degree in piano and voice. Graduating with honors in 1914, she returned to Mercer County to teach in the public schools. For 18 years she combined teaching with post graduate work at Juilliard School of Music in New York, the Royal Conservatory in Milan, Italy, Chicago Musical College, Cornell, and Columbia. She received an M.A. from Columbia in 1948.

In 1932, Holroyd was asked by the president of Concord College to create a music department, and six years later Concord began awarding teaching certificates, awarding the first degree in music education in 1948. Holroyd retired in 1951 but continued to work with music students. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by Concord College in 1964.

She died in Princeton.