Ralph Turlington

Ralph Donald Turlington Sr. (October 5, 1920 – May 12, 2021) was an American politician from the state of Florida.

Early life Turlington was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1920. Turlington was in the inaugural class of the P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School, where he was a distinguished alumni, graduating in 1938. He attended the University of Florida, where he was also a distinguished alumni and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity , to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in business and Harvard University for his master's degree in the same field.

After completing his education, Turlington was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army with the Third Army the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. After the war, he worked at the University of Florida. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Florida in 1968.

Florida House of Representatives He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1950 for Alachua County. He would serve until 1974, eventually also serving as speaker from 1967 to 1969. and had two children, Donald and Katherine. Turlington died on May 12, 2021, at the age of 100, in Durham, North Carolina.

Legacy A large building at the University of Florida, Ralph D. Turlington Hall, is named after him. It is located in the center of campus, houses multiple departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and over a hundred classrooms.