Peggy Dow

Peggy Dow (born Peggy Josephine Varnadow; March 18, 1928)[1] is an American philanthropist and retired actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Nurse Kelly in Harvey (1950) and Judy Greene in Bright Victory (1951).

Peggy Dow
Modern Screen magazine, 1952
Born
Peggy Josephine Varnadow

(1928-03-18) March 18, 1928
Columbia, Mississippi
Other namesPeggy V. Helmerich
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1949-1951
Spouse(s)Walter Helmerich III (1951-2012; his death)
Children5

Early life

Born in Columbia, Mississippi, at age 4 she moved with her family to Covington, Louisiana. She attended high school and junior college at Gulf Park College in Gulfport, Mississippi (now the Gulf Park campus of the University of Southern Mississippi), then finished college at Northwestern University in Illinois, appearing in college plays and receiving her degree from Northwestern's School of Speech in 1948.[2][3]

Career

After brief modeling and radio experience, Dow was spotted by a talent agent and cast in a television show in February 1949. Shortly after that exposure, Universal offered her a seven-year contract. Dow made nine films, most notably as Nurse Kelly in Harvey (1950), starring James Stewart,[4] and co-starring with Best Actor Oscar nominee Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory (1951).[5] After being featured in several crime dramas, Dow had starring roles in two 1951 family films, Reunion in Reno and You Never Can Tell.

She retired after three years in the business to marry Walter Helmerich III, an oil driller[6] from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1951. He became president of his family's business, Helmerich & Payne. They were married for 60 years, until his death in 2012. The couple had five sons.[7] She became an active supporter of libraries and other charities.[8]

The Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, an award given annually since 1985 to a distinguished author by the Tulsa Library Trust, is named in her honor,[9] as is the drama school at the University of Oklahoma[10] and the auditorium at Northwestern's Annie May Swift Hall.[11]

Filmography

References
  1. Interview, voicesofoklahoma.com, October 2013; accessed August 11, 2015.
  2. lived in Athens, Tn and married in Athens, Tn"Peggy V. Helmerich: Hollywood Starlet & Gracious Philanthropist", Voices of Oklahoma, October 9, 2009 (interview transcript).
  3. "Annie May Swift Hall", Northwestern University (accessed June 11, 2014).
  4. "Peggy Dow in lead". Toledo Blade. March 25, 1951. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  5. Cathy Logan, "Tulsa's Peggy Dow Knew Him When", Tulsa World, July 3, 1997.
  6. "Wedding bells for Peggy Dow today". Milwaukee Sentinel. November 24, 1951. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  7. "Tulsa Businessman Walter Helmerich III Dead At 88", newson6.com, January 10, 2012.
  8. Oklahoma Library Legends: Peggy Helmerich Archived January 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at Oklahoma State University library website (retrieved May 23, 2009).
  9. "Helmerich Family Leaves Fascinating Legacy", GTR Newspapers, July 6, 2007 (retrieved May 23, 2009).
  10. "OU School of Drama Named to Honor Peggy Dow Helmerich", University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, December 6, 2012.
  11. "Annie May Swift Renovation to Begin", Northwestern University, June 6, 2006.
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