The new academic building under construction at the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Blue Ridge Campus will be named David E. Ralston Hall in honor of the late speaker of the Georgia House.
Ralston, a former Gainesville resident who worked at the Gainesville Times, was instrumental in securing funding for the original Blue Ridge Campus location that opened in 2015, the current stand-alone campus that opened in 2020 and the expansion opening in spring 2025, according to a UNG news release.
Born in Ellijay, Ralston graduated from Gilmer County High School and North Georgia College (now UNG). He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia and practiced law in Blue Ridge for many years.
(Undated UNG photo: Ralston speaks at UNG)