Ray Pleasant

{{Short description|American politician (1928–2022)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name =Ray Pleasant

|image =

|image_size=180px

|state_house=Minnesota

|district=39B

|term_start =1973

|term_end =1980

|state_senate2=

|term2=

|district2=

|birth_name=

|birth_date = {{birth date|1928|4|22}}

|birth_place =Jetmore, Kansas, U.S.

|death_date = May 27, 2022 (aged 94)

|death_place =Chaska, Minnesota, U.S.

|party =Independent Republican

|occupation = Politician

|spouse = A. Gene Crenshaw

|children = two

|relations=

|religion=

|residence=Bloomington, Minnesota

|alma_mater=University of Kansas

}}

Ray O'Jean Pleasant (April 22, 1928 – May 27, 2022)[https://www.washburn-mcreavy.com/obituaries/Ray-Pleasant/#!/Obituary Ray O'Jean Pleasant] was an American politician in the state of Minnesota.

Pleasant was born in Jetmore, Kansas. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War as an army engineer and received his bachelor's degree in electric engineering from University of Kansas in 1951. Pleasant worked for Remington Rand and was sent to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He then lived in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife and family and served on the Bloomington City Council from 1970 to 1973. Pleasant then served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1973 to 1980 as an Independent Republican member, representing district 39B.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10538|title=Pleasant, Ray O. - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present|website=www.leg.state.mn.us}} He was the second African-American to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the first since the election of John Francis Wheaton in 1899.{{Cite web|url=https://www.swnewsmedia.com/chaska_herald/news/blazing-a-trail/article_85becf3d-947c-5f86-9232-183f2f6c0a11.html|title=Blazing a trail|first=Mollee|last=Francisco|website=SWNewsMedia.com}}[https://www.washburn-mcreavy.com/obituaries/Ray-Pleasant/#!/Obituary Ray O'Jean Pleasant-Obituary]

Pleasant's wife A. Gene Crenshaw served for a time on the judicial selection board of the governor of Minnesota.[https://www.leg.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10538 Minnesota legislature biographical file on Pleasant]