Pleasant, Ray O'Jean
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.
Body: House
District: 39B
Elected: 11/7/1978
Residence: Bloomington
Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981
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
Body: House
District: 39B
Elected: 11/2/1976
Residence: Bloomington
Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/2/1979
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation: Engineer, Sperry-Univac
Party:
Independent Republican
Committees:
-
Commerce and Economic Development
-
Taxes
-
Transportation
Body: House
District: 39B
Elected: 11/5/1974
Residence: Bloomington
Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation: Engineer
Party:
Republican
Committees:
-
Governmental Operations
-
Local and Urban Affairs
-
Transportation
Body: House
District: 39B
Elected: 11/7/1972
Residence: Bloomington
Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/6/1975
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation: Engineer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
City Government
-
Higher Education
-
Labor-Management Relations
-
Transportation
Articles & Books About
Pleasant, The Honorable Ray O'Jean (Obituary). Star Tribune, June 6, 2022.
Martin, Grant. "Pleasant Likens House Service to Army; Continues Active Community Life." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, March 13, 1998, p. 4.
Smith, Dane. "Minnesota Political Hall of Fame." Star Tribune, February 8, 1992.
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.