GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida House speaker and education commissioner Ralph Turlington has died at 100.
During 24 years in the Legislature representing the Gainesville area and 12 years as education commissioner, Turlington pushed through the state lottery, the corporate income tax and open records laws.
Two notable buildings are named after him: the Department of Education headquarters at Tallahassee and a hall at his alma mater, the University of Florida.
He served as speaker from 1966 to 1968. He was education commissioner from 1975 to 1987. His family says he died on Wednesday in North Carolina.
