The University of North Georgia announced the name of its new building on the Blue Ridge campus on Thursday, paying homage to the late Georgia House Speaker David Ralston.

The new academic building that is currently under construction will be named the David E. Ralston Hall. Approval for the naming was granted by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents this past week.

Speaker Ralston was an Elijay native who graduated from UNG, which was called North Georgia College at the time. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a law degree, he practiced law for many years in the Blue Ridge area.

Ralston served in the Georgia State Senate from 1992 to 1998. Notable achievements during his government tenure included his nomination for attorney general of Georgia in 1998 and his election to the State House of Representatives in 2002. He represented the 7th District, which included Fannin, Dawson, and Gilmer counties. He became Georgia’s 73rd House Speaker in 2010, a position he held until his passing in November 2022.

Ralston was key in obtaining funds for the initial Blue Ridge Campus location which opened in 2015, the current stand-alone campus that opened in 2020, and the extension which is set to open in the spring of 2025.

“[Ralston’s] visionary leadership was instrumental in expanding access to mental health resources and championing rural economic development,” UNG President Michael Shannon said in a statement.

“Speaker Ralston was a staunch advocate for the North Georgia region, and the second-longest serving speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. He played a pivotal role in shaping legislation that has had a lasting positive impact by promoting economic development and enhancing the overall well-being of Georgians.” – Michael Shannon, UNG President

UNG’s Blue Ridge Campus has expanded from 20 students when it first opened in 2015 to 230 for the 2023-24 academic year. The new 22,300-square-foot facility, set to open in spring 2025, will enable the College of Education to offer a plethora of opportunities for Blue Ridge students pursuing their degrees. The College of Health Sciences & Professions will be able to provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to current students in the area, including those who studied through the Technical College System of Georgia.

The UNG Foundation commissioned a portrait of Ralston in July 2023, which is on display outside the State House chamber in Atlanta.