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The University of North Georgia (ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ) held a ribbon-cutting July 30 to celebrate the opening of David E. Ralston Hall at ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ's Blue Ridge Campus. 

Ralston, a ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ alumnus, served as the 73rd speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives from January 2010 until his untimely death in November 2022.

Four governors attended the ribbon-cutting: current Gov. Brian Kemp; current University System of Georgia Chancellor and former Gov. Sonny Perdue; former Gov. Nathan Deal; and former Gov. Roy Barnes. Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and state Sen. Steve Gooch, a double alumnus of ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ, also were on hand for the dedication of David E. Ralston Hall.

"He was steady through turbulent times. He was also passionate about issues close to him. And he was also ready to act when others would hesitate. But above all, he had a vision to improve this community and our entire state," Kemp said of Ralston. "He believed in the potential of this region and worked to foster its success."

The $15 million expansion adds a second building to the campus. At 22,427 square feet, the building features four new classrooms, three new simulation labs and a 3,800-square-foot multipurpose room for ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ and community events.

"Dad stressed constantly that your ZIP code should not determine your lot in life," Matthew Ralston said. "For people who do not want to leave home, they should be entitled to a world-class education. And this building further expands world-class learning here in north Georgia."

This expansion provides specialized spaces for the College of Education to allow it to offer a blended cohort for students who will complete their degrees in Blue Ridge. It will also enable the College of Health Sciences & Professions to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to existing students in the area who may have started through the Technical College System of Georgia or other programs. 

Perdue said Ralston's commitment to the transformative power of education was admirable.

"He never forgot where he came from. And that impressed me because oftentimes people come to Atlanta and they want to act like they're from somewhere else," Perdue said. "David Ralston never did that. He was proud of his home, and he was proud of his people. He was proud of this area."

Ralston 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 this latest expansion.

"This is more than a building," ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ President Michael Shannon said. "It is a bridge connecting students to brighter futures."

Gooch said Ralston's vision set the stage for ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ's Blue Ridge Campus.

"This campus is not here by accident," Gooch said. "David Ralston fought for this university every day he was at the State Capitol."

Burns pointed out that the results of Ralston's work in the Georgia House of Representatives continue to benefit Georgians.

"There are few people who have made such a profound and lasting impact on our state and on the people of our great state," Burns said. "Speaker David Ralston was a giant of a public servant. He was larger than life in so many ways, with a heart and a vision for this great state to match."

ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ's Blue Ridge Campus has grown from 20 students when it opened in 2015 to 237 for the 2024-25 academic year.

Ralston graduated from Gilmer County High School and what was then North Georgia College and is now ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ. He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia and practiced law in Blue Ridge for many years.

From 1992-1998, he served as a member of the Georgia Senate, and he was the Republican nominee for attorney general of Georgia in 1998. In 2002, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives to represent the 7th District and its constituents in Fannin, Gilmer and Dawson counties. 

John Ponders, a sophomore from Ellijay, Georgia, pursuing an associate degree in business administration, said he is grateful more students can now benefit from the Blue Ridge Campus.

"It's great that this campus is here. It offers opportunities for people here who don't have a lot of finances," Ponders said. "It takes that burden away and gives us a chance to get higher education. It's been amazing seeing this campus grow."