James Cletus Pehler (February 23, 1942 – September 22, 2021) was an American politician and educator. Pehler was born in

Grand Rapids, Minnesota Grand Rapids is a city in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States, and it is the county seat. The population is 11,126 according to the 2020 census. The city is named for the long rapids in the Mississippi River which was the uppermost limit ...

, and graduated from Fairmont High School in

Fairmont, Minnesota Fairmont is a city in and the county seat of Martin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 10,487 at the 2020 census. History Fairmont was platted in 1857. The city was so named on account of its elevated town site. A post office ...

, in 1960. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in communications studies from St. Cloud State University in 1965 and 1967. He worked for several television and radio stations in the St. Cloud area as a student. He then taught in the radio and television area of the St. Cloud State University department of mass communication and was an associate professor. Pehler served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

from 1973 to 1980 and in the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

from 1981 to 1990. He was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Pehler died at his home in

St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...

.St. Cloud State University Foundation-Jim Pehler '65 '67
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References

1942 births 2021 deaths People from Fairmont, Minnesota People from Grand Rapids, Minnesota Politicians from St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud State University alumni St. Cloud State University faculty Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives {{Minnesota-politician-stub