Ralston College partners with Parker's on new campus building in Savannah
News 11th April 2024
Yesterday marked the official opening of Ralston College’s new administrative offices in one of the most beloved historic buildings in Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District, the Philbrick-Eastman House on Chippewa Square.
Owned by The Parker Companies, 17 W. McDonough St serves as the new headquarters for the College’s administrative and development teams, giving the College a presence at one of the city’s most iconic addresses while providing additional space for it to continue hosting public events, lecture series and maintaining entrepreneur Greg Parker’s long-held tradition of balcony concerts.
In honor of that tradition, student Ari Johnson played Bach and Handel on violin yesterday morning before a crowd of local residents, business owners and public officials who later joined College faculty, staff and students for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Local newspapers Savannah Morning News and Savannah Connect as well as two of the city’s TV stations WSAV and WJCL showcased the city’s new liberal arts college.
Founding College president Stephen Blackwood shared his delight at partnering with two of the most accomplished entrepreneurs in the American South, Parker’s Kitchen founder and CEO Greg Parker and Lori Judge, CEO of Judge Realty.
“We are grateful to Greg and Lori and to Savannah residents for their embrace of Ralston College and its graduate students in this beautiful city,” he said.
“Savannah is the perfect place to build a College devoted to the educational mission of seeking truth, fostering freedom of thought and speech, apprehending beauty, and forging the friendships that these activities bring about. Our students are fortunate indeed to have the pleasure and privilege of studying in such a uniquely attractive place.”
Mr Parker credited Ms Judge with brokering the lease deal and shared his enthusiasm for Ralston College’s expansion throughout the city.
“The Philbrick-Eastman House is an iconic Savannah landmark that truly represents the ideals of Ralston College,” Mr Parker said.
“It seems fitting that a college that is committed to truth, beauty, freedom and fellowship would be housed in such a classic, stately building. We want to congratulate Ralston College on this recent expansion and are wishing them every success in the future.”
In addition to the College’s residency at the Philbrick-Eastman House, the 11,334-square foot former corporate offices of The Parker Companies, Ralston College’s Savannah campus totals more than 50,000 square feet and includes its main academic building at 26 E. Gaston St, overlooking Forsyth Park.
Originally built for Savannah silversmith Moses Eastman in 1844, the Philbrick-Eastman House is a Greek Revival landmark that has undergone extensive renovation. This iconic building won a 2016 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation as well as a 2015 Historic Preservation Award from Historic Savannah Foundation.
The College’s opening of new offices on Chippewa Square coincides with the final of four academic terms of its MA program.
In May, the 23 graduate students who make up the College’s second-ever cohort are expected to be admitted to the degree of Master of Arts in the Humanities. The College is in the midst of accepting students who in Spring 2025 will make up the College’s third consecutive cohort.
The College’s intensive one-year graduate program, which traces the development of Western civilization from ancient times to the present, includes an eight-week term in Greece followed by three terms in Savannah.
“I think that Ralston College is going to have a profound impact on the city. They’re going to bring a lot of very, very smart professors and students to the city, and it’s a new university right here in Savannah.”
– Parker’s Kitchen founder and CEO, Greg ParkerFounded in 2010, Ralston College is a private, 501(c)(3) institution of higher education.
The College has been authorized for operation and awarded degree-granting powers by the State of Georgia. Ralston College is also seeking accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education, and was authorized on November 16th, 2023 to publish the following statement: “The New England Commission of Higher Education has determined that Ralston College is eligible to proceed with an application for candidacy for accreditation within two years. A determination of eligibility is not candidacy or accreditation, nor does it indicate a likelihood of eventual accreditation. Questions about eligibility and the accreditation process should be directed to the President of the Commission.”
Ralston College is devoted to freedom of thought and speech, has no political or religious affiliations, and does not accept government funds. Its mission is to revive the conditions of a free and flourishing culture by providing transformative, rigorous education in the humanities. In addition to its degree program, the College also hosts free, public lecture series which since 2022 has welcomed more than 1,500 guests. To date, the College’s podcast–available for free–has reached millions.
Mr Parker is one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs in the South. He opened his first convenience store in Midway, Georgia in 1976, eventually expanding it into a chain which was recently named Convenience Store Chain of the Year.
Parker’s stores, which are found throughout Georgia and South Carolina, are popular for their freshly prepared food, premium service and cleanliness. Mr Parker is a long-time member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a steadfast advocate of giving back to the community, he has donated more than $30 million to charitable causes across coastal Georgia and South Carolina and received the 2022 Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business Corporate Partner Award. Until Parker’s own recent expansion, Philbrick-Eastman House on Chippewa Square was the company’s headquarters.
Sharing his excitement about the College’s growth in Savannah, Mr Parker told WJCL: “I think that Ralston College is going to have a profound impact on the city. They’re going to bring a lot of very, very smart professors and students to the city , and it’s a new university right here in Savannah.”
President Blackwood spoke to the same TV station about the beauty of the building: “It’s an enormous privilege to be a steward of this magnificent property, which is of course architecturally breathtaking and historically important to the city.”
In addition to Philbrick-Eastman House, the College leases five other buildings in Savannah’s National Landmark District. In addition, the College owns 3 West Gordon Street on Monterey Square and 115 West Bolton Street, formerly a church that will become the College’s library.