Pillsbury, John Sargent, 1912-

John S. Pillsbury, Jr. was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 28, 1912 to flour manufacturer John Sargent Pillsbury and his wife Eleanor (Lawler) Pillsbury. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University in 1935, and worked for the Pillsbury Company in 1936 and 1937.

Pillsbury earned an LL.B. degree from the University of Minnesota law school in 1940, and subsequently joined the Faegre & Benson law firm as a practicing attorney. He served in the United States Navy as an air combat intelligence officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II (1942-1945). He returned to Faegre & Benson upon completion of his military service, and from 1946 to 1956 he was a partner in the firm. In 1956 he was named president of Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, Minneapolis.

Pillsbury ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor in 1966. South St. Paul attorney Harold LeVander won the Republican nomination. LeVander defeated the Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor A. M. "Sandy" Keith, in the general election.

Pillsbury married Katharine ("Kitty") Harrison Clark in June 1936. The couple had four children: John Sargent, Donaldson Clark, Lynde Harrison, and Katharine Clark. The family for many years made their home in the upscale Minneapolis suburb of Orono.

Pillsbury's great-uncle John Sargent Pillsbury (1827-1901) served as governor of Minnesota from 1876 to 1882. His brother George S. Pillsbury (b.1921) represented District 42, which included Hennepin and Wright counties, in the Minnesota state senate (1971-1982 ).