1. Elinor Donahue was born on Mary Eleanor Donahue; April 19,1937 and is an American retired actress, best known today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.
Elinor Donahue was a child actress working in vaudeville and had several bit parts in movies as a teenager, including Love Is Better Than Ever, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Tea for Two starring Doris Day.
Elinor Donahue played one of the daughters in Three Daring Daughters in 1948 and appeared as Mamie Van Doren's sister in Girls Town.
Elinor Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960.
Elinor Donahue's co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her younger brother, James "Bud" Anderson Jr.
Elinor Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury.
Elinor Donahue appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2,1956.
Elinor Donahue acted in the feature film Girls Town, which she later described as "an awful picture".
Elinor Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of George and Martha Wilson, in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" on Dennis the Menace.
Elinor Donahue was cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode of The Brothers Brannagan.
Elinor Donahue played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and evil Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives.
Elinor Donahue was part of the main cast for the first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Walker.
Elinor Donahue was even mentioned in the opening credits before Don Knotts.
In 1963, Elinor Donahue was cast in an episode of NBC's short-lived modern Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo.
Elinor Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun.
Elinor Donahue portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple.
In 1978, Elinor Donahue starred in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By.
In 1981, Elinor Donahue appeared in an episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia.
Elinor Donahue played Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson, in all 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life, and had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Elinor Donahue played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s.
In September 2010, Elinor Donahue made an appearance on The Young and the Restless as Judge Anderson, one of Nikki Newman's old friends and as the woman minister who will officiate at the wedding of Billy Abbott and Nikki's daughter, Victoria Newman.
In 2015, Elinor Donahue played the role of Mrs Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize play Harvey by Mary Chase.
Elinor Donahue was the adoptive father of her son from her first marriage, and Donahue and he had three sons together.