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    Pleasant, Ray O'Jean

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1973-80 (District 39B)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 4/22/1928
    Birth Place: Jetmore, Kansas
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death: 5/27/2022
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Baptist
    Reported Minority: Black
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Bloomington
    Occupation (when first elected): Engineer

    EDUCATION

    University of Kansas; B.S.; Electric Engineering, 1951

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Municipal Board/Commission: Bloomington, Minnesota (Environmental Issues Advisory Council); 19?? to 19?? [Appointed]
    Military: United States Army (Korean War, Served Stateside, Army Engineer, 2 years); 195? to 19??
    Municipal Council/Aldermen: Bloomington, Minnesota (City Council); 1970 to 1973 [Elected]

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Arthur Gene Crenshaw (she served on the Governor's Judicial Selection Board)
    Children: Two children: Margo Elaine, and Kevin Terrance
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    He was the second known African American to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives. (Session Weekly, January 18, 1991) The first known African American to serve was John Frances "Frank" Wheaton in 1899.

    He was a member of the Republican Party.

    He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

    He was a member of Creek Valley Baptist Church, Edina.

    While in the Legislature, "he helped create the vision of Dred Scott playfields and development of affordable housing, environmental protection of the MN River Water Shed areas and the Mall of America." (Star Tribune obituary, 6/5/2022)

    His funeral will be held at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis on June 11, 2022 at 1pm.

    Religion provided by the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1977-78 and the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 2926

    SESSIONS SERVED

    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1979
    Body: House
    District: 39B
    Elected: 11/7/1978
    Residence: Bloomington
    Term of Office: 1/1/1979 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/3/1979
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Engineer, Sperry-Univac
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judiciary Law Reform
    • Local and Urban Affairs (Chair) [He was the Chair in 1979 only.]
    • Local and Urban Affairs: Social, Economic and Physical Development
    • Taxes
    • Taxes: Division II - Property and Natural Resources Division

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1977
    Body: House
    District: 39B
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Bloomington
    Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 12/31/1978
    Oath Date: 1/4/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Engineer, Sperry-Univac
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Commerce and Economic Development
    • Taxes
    • Transportation
    term photo
    Click to view

    69th Legislative Session (1975-1976)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1975
    Body: House
    District: 39B
    Elected: 11/5/1974
    Residence: Bloomington
    Term of Office: 1/6/1975 to 1/2/1977
    Oath Date: 1/7/1975
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Engineer
    Party: Republican
    Committees:
    • Governmental Operations
    • Local and Urban Affairs
    • Transportation

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/2/1973
    Body: House
    District: 39B
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Bloomington
    Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/5/1975
    Oath Date: 1/2/1973
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Engineer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • City Government
    • Higher Education
    • Labor-Management Relations
    • Transportation
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About

    News Sources

    The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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