A visionary leader in agricultural education and research and a stalwart agricultural industry supporter and business leader were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame on March 21 at the 69th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Alumni Association Awards and Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame Ceremony at The Classic Center in Athens.

The 2025 honorees are David Bridges, a former assistant dean for CAES at UGA’s Tifton campus, and Ralph Evans, a business and peanut industry leader whose family has been serving the agricultural community since 1922.

Recognizing agricultural leaders for 50 years

Established in 1972, the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame honors individuals making extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in the state.

Inductees are nominated by members of the public and selected by the awards committee of the CAES Alumni Association. Those nominated must be of impeccable character, have outstanding leadership skills, have made noteworthy contributions to Georgia’s agricultural landscape, and have been recognized for achievements in agriculture and other areas.

A legacy of agricultural education and rural advocacy

David Bridges smiles while wearing professional attire
A former CAES assistant dean, David Bridges continues to advocate for rural communities as interim director of Georgia’s Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation.
David Bridges, a native of rural Georgia, has dedicated his career to advancing agricultural education and research. His roots in Terrell County have profoundly influenced his life's work, instilling in him a deep commitment to rural communities and agricultural development.

Bridges' research, advocacy, leadership and program development have significantly impacted Georgia's agricultural landscape. His expertise in defending the safety and demand for Georgia peanuts earned him recognition from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Peanut Commission, which awarded him a Distinguished Service Award. His pioneering work on weed control in tobacco led to the registration of two novel herbicides for use in Georgia tobacco fields.

As the assistant dean for CAES on the UGA Tifton campus, Bridges was instrumental in establishing undergraduate degrees and increasing the number of graduate students in Tifton. He also oversaw construction of the C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park and the Tifton Campus Conference Center. He has served as a regulatory consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In 1994, Bridges was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton to the Agriculture Board of the President's Council on Sustainable Development.

Leadership in academics, research and policy

In 2006, Bridges became the 10th president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, where he transformed the institution from a two-year to a four-year college, and enrollment in agricultural programs tripled to more than 1,500 students. Bridges is also an ABAC alumnus, earning an associate’s degree before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University. As ABAC’s longest-serving president, Bridges oversaw significant renovations and new construction at ABAC, including facilities for agricultural technology, science, nursing and fine arts.

Today, Bridges continues to lead and advocate for rural communities as interim director of Georgia’s Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation, an organization created by legislation he helped craft in 2018. His vision and dedication remain focused on enhancing both quality of life and economic opportunities in Georgia's rural areas. Bridges and his wife, Kim, have two adult children and two grandchildren.

A lifetime of agricultural innovation and industry success

Ralph Evans smiles in his professional headshot
Since taking over R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed and Fertilizer in 1977, Ralph Evans has expanded it from a single location to a conglomerate of 42 companies.
Ralph Evans has played a significant role in advancing agriculture in Georgia through his leadership at R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed and Fertilizer, a company founded by his grandfather, Ralph Waldo Griffin, in 1922. Evans’ grandfather instilled a work ethic and passion for agriculture in him at an early age, recalls Evans, who helped out measuring garden seed for customers at his grandfather’s store before and after school as early as age 9.

After graduating from East Tennessee State University, Evans’ influence in the industry was felt early in his career as he was invited to join the board of the crop protection cooperative buying group, Chem Nut Inc., in 1983, joining its executive board in 1995. During his tenure, Chem Nut has expanded to 40 states and more than 400 independent agricultural retailers.

Evans took a lead role in organizing Premium Peanut and serves on its board of directors. Premium Peanut has grown to 480 producer members, accounting for approximately 10% of the U.S. peanut crop, making Premium Peanut one of the largest shellers in the country.

Community service and economic growth

Since taking over the family business in 1977, Evans has expanded it from a single location with 25 employees to a conglomerate of 42 companies with more than 500 employees.

This growth includes 21 agricultural retail stores, seven wholesale fertilizer terminals, two cotton gins, and four peanut buying points, making it one of the largest privately owned diversified agribusinesses in the Southeast. The R.W. Griffin family of companies services hundreds of thousands of acres of Georgia crops every year.

Under Evans’ guidance, R.W. Griffin has adapted to the evolving needs of Georgia's farmers, emphasizing principles of service, integrity, and mutually beneficial partnerships. This approach has nurtured loyalty among employees and farmers alike. Evans takes pride in the fact that all four of his adult children, as well as three nephews and two sons-in-law, have joined him in the family business.

Evans is also a founding board member of First National Bank of Coffee County, which has been a reliable source of financing for farmers in Coffee County and surrounding areas.

Learn more about the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at caes.uga.edu/alumni/recognitions. Visit caes.uga.edu/alumni to get involved with the CAES Alumni Association.